Texas Wins Two AARP Community Challenge Grants

Communities across Texas are working each and every day to become more livable for residents of all ages.

In support of that work, AARP is excited to be able to provide funding to organizations through the AARP Community Challenge to help them jumpstart progress on ongoing work.

These “quick action” grants are being distributed to 129 organizations, with at least one in every state, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, including right here in Texas. The Community Challenge grants provide communities with the chance to fund innovative projects that can inspire change in areas such as transportation, open spaces, housing, and other innovative projects to improve the community and make Texas’ counties, cities, towns and rural areas better places to live for all Texans.

The Community Challenge is part of AARP’s work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and counties across the country to become great places for all residents. We believe that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents to participate in community life.

After a successful 2017, with 90 grantees, this initiative is now in its 2nd year, and it has increased its investment to over $1.3 million in the form of 129 grants.

Two of these grants have been awarded in Texas:

• Dallas: buildingcommunityWORKSHOPThe grant will enable the installation of enhancements to public walkways, such as increased pedestrian accessibility for people with mobility impairments.
• Elsa: City of Elsa Economic Development CorporationThe grant will be used to install four bus shelters along a one-mile stretch of State Highway 107, increasing the availability of local public transit options.

To learn more about the work being funded by the AARP Community Challenge grant program both here in Texas as well as across the nation, visit us at aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. And to learn more about how AARP is working to make communities across Texas and across the U.S. more livable for all residents, visit aarp.org/livable.