State Releases Master Plan for Aging
This week, the Newsom Administration released the California Master Plan for Aging, a comprehensive framework to prepare the state for significant demographic changes in the years ahead, including the growth of the 60-and-over population to 10.8 million people by 2030.
The Master Plan was initiated by an Executive Order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom in June 2019, directing the California Health and Human Services Secretary to develop a strategy for promoting the health and well-being of older Californians. The Master Plan outlines five major goals and 23 strategies for leaders in government, business, philanthropy, and community-based organizations to collaborate on creating age-friendly communities for all Californians. The Plan also sets a series of targets to track progress and provide accountability and will be powered by more than 100 initiatives that have already begun to be adopted by state agencies.
The five goals of the plan include:
- Housing for All Ages and Stages – Includes a target of establishing millions of new housing options to age well
- Health Reimagined – Includes a target of closing the equity gap in and increasing life expectancy
- Inclusion and Equity, Not Isolation – Includes a target to keep increasing life satisfaction with age
- Caregiving that Works – Includes a target goal of one million high-quality caregiving jobs
- Affordable Aging – Includes a target of closing the equity gap in and increasing elder economic sufficiency
Many of the initiatives included in the Plan are related to a wide array of policy areas, including housing, transportation, emergency preparedness, and broadband. The full Master Plan is available here. A press release on the plan is available here.