{"id":63399,"date":"2026-06-25T03:00:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/aarp-awards-8-3m-in-senior-focused-housing-and-community-improvement-grants\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T03:00:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T01:00:47","slug":"aarp-awards-8-3m-in-senior-focused-housing-and-community-improvement-grants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/housesmarketplace.com\/ru\/aarp-awards-8-3m-in-senior-focused-housing-and-community-improvement-grants\/","title":{"rendered":"AARP awards $8.3M in senior-focused housing and community improvement grants"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u0410\u0410\u0420\u041f<\/strong>, the nation\u2019s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to serving older Americans, on Wednesday announced more than $8 million in grants across the country. The funds aim to make communities more livable, with specific targets toward improving housing, public spaces, transportation and digital connectivity.<\/p>\n

As part of the 10th anniversary of the nonprofit\u2019s Community Challenge grant program, \u0410\u0410\u0420\u041f<\/a> awarded $8.3 million in funds across 750 projects in all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. About half of these projects are in rural communities<\/a> and the record level of funding came amid record demand as AARP received 5,100 applications this year.<\/p>\n

The funds also come at a time when the U.S. population is aging rapidly and seniors are overwhelmingly expressing a desire to age in place in their current homes. <\/p>\n

Reverse mortgage professionals may be uniquely positioned to serve these needs through home equity-based financing solutions as clients seek to improve their homes with technology<\/a> and live in neighborhoods with helpful amenities. Baby boomers also represent the largest shares<\/a> of today\u2019s home buyers and sellers, and they may be able to use reverse for purchase programs<\/a> to remain in or relocate to senior-friendly communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica is aging, and most older adults want to stay in the communities they know and love. There are a lot of things that localities can do to support residents of all ages,\u201d Nancy LeaMond, AARP\u2019s executive vice president and chief advocacy and engagement officer, said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAARP Community Challenge grants help transform local ideas into real improvements \u2014 from safer sidewalks and improved transportation options to public spaces that bring neighbors together and enhance community connections. As we celebrate the program\u2019s 10th year, we\u2019re proud to double our investment so even more communities can become great places to live for people at all stages of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a virtual meeting with reporters on Wednesday, AARP officials and two mayors whose cities have benefited from the grant funding spoke about the importance of making \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0435 \u043d\u0430 \u043c\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/a> a national priority. <\/p>\n

AARP noted that by 2034, Americans 65 and older are expected to outnumber children under 18 for the first time. The Community Challenge grants aim to create practical infrastructure \u2014 such as housing modifications<\/a>, transportation and digital access \u2014 for older adults to remain independent. <\/p>\n

The grants are also designed to move quickly as projects typically come to fruition in months, not years. The group has set a goal to improve the lives of 25 million seniors and support 100,000 community projects by 2028.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur health and well-being is shaped by whether or not we can safely cross the street, whether our home meets our needs as we age, whether we feel connected to the people and places around us,\u201d AARP CEO Myechia Minter-Jordan said.<\/p>\n

Mayors speak to local project impact<\/h2>\n

Mayor Paul TenHaken of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, said that his city previously benefited from a Community Challenge grant that funded pedestrian safety efforts \u2014 including repainted crosswalks and traffic-calming measures. <\/p>\n

TenHaken said the changes reduced traffic speeds in the impacted areas by about 20%, leading Sioux Falls to make a related pilot program permanent. Sioux Falls was the first city in South Dakota to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, which the group describes as an effort to connect elected officials, local leaders and organizations as they assess needs, plan and implement projects and evaluate their effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating livable, age-friendly cities \u2026 isn\u2019t just a one-time thing where you spike the football, and you say, \u2018Hey, we did that, all right, we\u2019re good, move on.\u2019 It\u2019s an ongoing commitment,\u201d TenHaken said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese Community Challenge grants, they really just provide a starting point for conversation about how we continue to enhance livability and provide community-based projects, and about the important role that we as policymakers in government<\/a> play in establishing this sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayor Tim Keller of Albuquerque, New Mexico, said that his city has been part of the AARP Network since 2017. Albuquerque was a prior recipient of grants that, in part, paid to rehabilitate a number of homes with basic senior-centric safety features like wheelchair ramps, grab bars and handrails. <\/p>\n

Keller said the funding has helped to stabilize the city\u2019s aging housing stock<\/a> and has extended the ability of some seniors to age in place by another five to 10 years. Albuquerque is also building new senior housing at a rapid rate and has made public transit free to all residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis also helps us with our broader housing issue, because we don\u2019t have empty houses<\/a> turning over in the middle of neighborhoods, so it helps stabilize some of our older neighborhoods as well,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want people to have to leave behind their neighborhood, their independence or their sense of purpose or their family, just because of their age.\u201d<\/p>\n

Housing design grant recipients<\/h2>\n

Mike Watson, AARP\u2019s director of livable communities, said that the grants are primarily funded through the nonprofit\u2019s social mission budget. The remainder comes from corporate partnerships with Toyota<\/strong>, which funds pedestrian safety projects, and \u041c\u0430\u0439\u043a\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043e\u0444\u0442<\/strong>, which funds digital connectivity projects.<\/p>\n

One of the grant categories supports housing design competitions, with AARP allocating funds to 13 cities in 2026. Examples include:<\/p>\n