Municipalities throughout the metropolitan Chicago region – like regions throughout the country – are experiencing substantial growth in the number and percentage share of their older adult populations and are looking for strategies to help address these shifts. Two partner organizations – the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC, serving the region’s 275 cities, towns, and villages), and Planning/Aging (a consultancy focused on the intersection of city planning and the growing aging population) – received funding from the RRF Foundation for Aging to assist municipalities’ support of Aging in-Community.

This program – “Aging in a Changing Region” (AiaCR) – built upon the idea that wherever a municipality is in its support of Aging-in-Community, strategic guidance can help elevate its support going forward.

Aging in a Changing Region provided customized support to municipalities to help them place an aging lens on top of local operations.

Tailored workshops, led by Planning/Aging, helped municipalities prioritize aging-in-community issues and actionable first steps. Workshops followed a common framework but were customized to local context. An initial workshop provided an overview of general aging-in-community issues, challenges, and opportunities in the municipal context and assessed local aging-in-community conditions and needs. Subsequent workshops then encouraged and provided support for locally based solutions on the identified priorities. Workshop assistance was provided free of cost.

Aging in a Changing Region Cohort Strategic Guides

Strategic guides, compiled by Planning/Aging, define aging-in-community terms for policymakers, summarize the major themes from each tailored workshop, and provide short and long term recommendations for the cohort municipality to prioritize aging-in-community across the whole of government.

From 2021 through 2023, the Mayors Caucus held a five municipality cohort per year:

• Broadview and Bellwood (joint participation), Highland Park, Maywood, Richton Park, and Yorkville.
• Bensenville, Calumet City, Hawthorn Woods, Mount Prospect, and Park Forest.
• City of Aurora, Village of Carol Stream, Village of South Elgin, Village of South Holland, and the Village of Schiller Park.

2021 Cohort Strategic Guides:

• Village of Park Forest
• Calumet City
• Village of Bensenville
• Village of Hawthorn Woods
• Village of Mount Prospect

2022 Cohort Strategic Guides:

• Village of Broadview and Village of Bellwood (joint participation)
• City of Highland Park
• Village of Maywood
• Village of Richton Park
• United City of Yorkville

2023 Cohort Strategic Guides:

• City of Aurora (English), City of Aurora (Español)
• Village of Carol Stream
• Village of South Elgin
• Village of South Holland
• Village of Schiller Park

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning developed a template Aging-in-Community Resource Handbook, which lists community resources in housing, transportation, and social services, other community services. The Handbook was an implementation activity of the Aging in a Changing Region report and is designed as a a “one stop shop” to connect older adults with their needs. Communities can create their own resource handbook using the guidebook available here.

Aging in a Changing Region 2021 Cohort 

In the video below our partner Brad Winick of Planning/Aging discusses the workshops on the Spotlight in Bensenville series in November 2021.

The Aging in a Changing Region initiative was generously supported by RRF Foundation for Aging.

Staff Contact
Neil James
Executive Director
njames@mayorscaucus.org