The First Step is to Listen

Last week, we wrapped up a series of Community Conversations designed to obtain input from residents. Community feedback is an integral step in the process of renewing the City’s Age-Friendly designation.

By 2030, one of every five people in the U.S. will be 65 or older. In anticipation of the demographic shift, the City of Auburn Hills has strived to make our community more livable by providing older residents in the community the chance to have fulfilling, dynamic, and safe lives. In 2013, an initiative led by Karen Adcock, Director of Senior Services and Steve Cohen, Director of Community Development, resulted in the City of Auburn Hills becoming the first municipality from the State of Michigan to be accepted into the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. Today, there are 10 Michigan communities in the Age-Friendly network and 800 communities in the U.S.

Over the last decade, the City of Auburn Hills completed 16 out of  20 items outlined in the original Age-Friendly Auburn Hills Action Plan – Phase I. To ensure continued progress on improving the quality of life for people of all ages in our community, the City of Auburn Hills is taking the steps necessary to maintain our Age-Friendly status. The first of those steps is to gather feedback from the community. During four different open forums that took place in May, September and October 2023, a team made up of City Council, City Planning Commission members, City staff, and volunteers sat down with participating residents to discuss a few of AARP’s domains of livability. Conversations surrounded the ways in which residents receive communication and information from the City, volunteer and civic engagement, and public safety.

The insight gained from these open meetings will be documented and used to inform an updated action plan. We’re motivated by the community engagement we received and look forward to upholding our mission to maintain an Age-Friendly Auburn Hills.

Lisa Passalacqua, Community Engagement Manager