City of Santa Fe Joins the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities

The city of Santa Fe is proud to announce its enrollment in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, a program dedicated to promoting livable communities for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

With this enrollment, Santa Fe becomes the latest community in New Mexico to join the Network, following in the footsteps of Carlsbad, Las Cruces and Albuquerque. By joining the Network, Santa Fe has made a commitment to identifying and addressing the needs of its aging population, creating a more inclusive and accessible community. It also will have access to a variety of resources to enable community improvements that benefit people of all ages.

“We’re taking an important step as a community in joining the AARP Age Friendly Network,” said Alan Webber, Mayor for the city of Santa Fe. “A community that accords respect and dignity to its seniors and people of all ages is a community that does the right thing. This is an important step in making sure that Santa Fe is listening to the community and emphasizing programs and projects that make Santa Fe a more livable community for all ages.”

AARP New Mexico State Director Joseph P. Roybal-Sanchez congratulated the city on being enrolled in the Age-Friendly Network.

“The city of Santa Fe has a robust number of people who are choosing to live here as they age. People want to stay in their homes and their communities, close to family, friends and familiar amenities. AARP New Mexico is thrilled that Santa Fe is taking steps to ensure it is a city where that can happen. Such improvements not only benefit older Santa Feans but people of all ages,” Sanchez said.

Communities in the network focus on the 8 Domains of Livability, which include Housing; Transportation; Civic Participation and Employment; Communications and Information; Respect and Social Inclusion; Social Participation; Health Services and Community Supports; and Outdoor Spaces and Buildings. Communities can focus on just one or two domains or several, depending on budget and capacity.

Enrollment in the Network requires communities to conduct an assessment of their age-friendliness, identify strategies for improvement, and implement those strategies over time. As part of this process, Santa Fe will work to ensure that the voice of residents 50 and older are included throughout.

With its enrollment, the city of Santa Fe proudly stands as the 929^th member of the Network across the country.

For more information about the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, visit AARP.org/AgeFriendly.

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