Low-income aging Americans, faced with the threat of having to move from their communities, could stay in those communities through local assistance and innovative programs, according to The Maturing of America--Communities Moving Forward for an Aging Population, a report from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Washington, D.C, and the MetLife Foundation, New York. The report follows up on a 2005 survey of more than 1,400 cities and counties in the United States that looked at the "aging readiness" of America's communities. The current report said communities, at best, maintained status quo for the past six years because of overall economic decline and local government budgets. Nearly 70 percent of respondents reported housing program availability remained "roughly the same" as in 2005, as home-maintenance and repair-assistance programs were still in place. The report said even under economic duress, local communities could develop policies, programs and services to make them better places for aging individuals.
