Cherry Hill gets state grant to plan age-friendly community

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Cherry Hill Township will assess the needs of its aging population after the township council formally accepted a $70,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Human Services.

Mayor David Fleisher said about 30% of township residents are 65 and older, adding that the township is focused on the “appropriate outreach” to craft a plan to serve the senior population.

“Using the appropriate professionals to assist us, to assess what those needs are and then, in turn, taking that information and creating an action plan,” he said.

“Age-friendly” refers to making communities more welcoming and livable for people of all ages, according to the Department of Human Services. These communities provide affordable and accessible housing and transportation options, meaningful volunteer and social opportunities, easy access to essential services and safe public spaces.

The U.S. Census Bureau forecasts that residents ages 65 and older could account for nearly 20% — more than 1.85 million people — of New Jersey’s total population by the end of the decade.

Cherry Hill is among 17 local governments, including Princeton and Salem County, to receive the Age-Friendly Community grants to build partnerships, assess community needs, create a plan to become an age-friendly community and enroll in AARP’s network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

Fleisher said serving seniors is one of the town’s top priorities.

“We have a senior services coordinator; we’ve recently appointed a new one that is working directly out of the mayor’s office to highlight the importance of how we’re serving this community,” he said.

AARP’s network was established in 2012 as the U.S.-based affiliate program of the World Health Organization’s global network. Princeton was first in New Jersey to join the WHO network on its own in 2014.

The Garden State joined AARP’s network in 2021. In addition to the state, there are five counties and 22 municipalities that are participating, according to Dr. Katie Squires, associate state director of advocacy for AARP New Jersey.

“We’re continuing to see communities at every level of government make the commitment to make their neighborhoods and communities more age-friendly,” she said. “We’ve been working to build up communities and help them to be better equipped to meet the needs of an aging population.”

Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the creation of the Age-Friendly State Advisory Council to work with the Department of Human Services to develop a blueprint for local governments and businesses to follow to create age-friendly communities. The department released the blueprint last year.