Community for All Ages

A community for all ages seeks to meet the needs and interests of the very old, the very young and everyone in between. KC Communities for All Ages is an age-friendly initiative that helps increase awareness in local jurisdictions of the impact of a growing older population. The program offers tools to help meet the needs of older adults in ways that benefit residents of all ages.

 KC Communities for All Ages provides workshops, resources and information to make our region more age-friendly. They also offer a structured recognition program to help local jurisdictions shape policies, practices and infrastructure keeping all ages in mind, to ensure that older adults are understood, valued and involved in creating a high quality of life in their communities.

Facts on Aging

There are now more people over age 65 than at any other time in American history. In 2019, the Kansas City area's population aged 65 and over was 327,343 and is expected to grow an additional 38% to reach 452,556 by 2030. These unprecedented numbers will last with each successive generation for the foreseeable future. 

• Baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) began turning 65 in January 2011 at the rate of 10,000 per day. This will continue at the rate of 10,000 every day for the next 20 years. 
• Our average life expectancy has risen from 47.3 years in 1900 to 78.3 years today. 
• By 2030, 20% of Americans, 75 million people, will be 65 or older compared to 42 million today. The number of those 85 and older will be close to 21 million. 

Given these facts, today’s older adults face many challenges: inadequate savings and delayed retirement, multiple chronic health conditions, lack of caregivers, limited transportation options, inappropriate housing stock in which to age in place and more.  

Where do we begin?
KCCFAA and the First Suburbs Coalition have developed a toolkit to help elected officials, planners and community leaders respond to these evolving trends, maintain a high quality of life for all residents and to make their cities communities for all ages.

The toolkit offers helpful strategies for community leaders to address:

• community and neighborhood environment; 
• housing; 
• transportation;
•  communication services and facilities; 
• health care and healthy living 
• and how to put it all together. 

Liberty is working in partnership with the Mid-America Regional Council, Kansas City’s metropolitan planning organization, to advance the KCCFAA initiative which is designed to help our communities and our region prepare to take advantage of the opportunities — and challenges — presented by a growing number of older adults.

Where do we go from here?

The recognition program offers tools to help cities and counties become more aware of their role in supporting their older residents. The program recognizes communities in our region that have taken steps to become more welcoming to residents of all ages and, in the process, more vibrant, healthy and prosperous.

Communities can apply for and earn three levels of recognition:

• Bronze — for awareness – achieved April 2016
• Silver — for assessment – achieved January 2017
• Gold — for implementation – applied for in August 2023

Advocating for change. The conversation can begin with each of you. Decide what it means to you to have a community for all ages, share that information with your City Council person, City Administrator, Parks and Recreation Director, or Hailey Kellerstrass, Community Services Manager.  We would appreciate and value your input. 

Related Resources
KCCFAA Checklist