South San Francisco
Age-Friendly Action Plan
October 2025
The “Age-Friendly” movement
was first developed by the
World Health Organization (WHO)
through a research project to examine
the experiences of older people living in urban
environments.
Center for Age-Friendly Excellence
Eight Domains of Livability
• Document encompassing a five-year process of
assessing and gathering information, interviewing community members, and prioritizing potential projects to implement and establish an AgeFriendly community. • Roadmap for communities to develop initiatives to
make a city a better place to age gracefully, thrive, and be independent.
Age-Friendly Action Plan
• City-wide survey was disseminated to gather
input about the unmet needs of older adults in South San Francisco. • Survey was promoted from August 2024 and
ended December 31, 2024
• 213 surveys were collected.
Center for Age-Friendly Excellence
• South San Francisco initially had fifteen focus
groups in 2022 before becoming Age-Friendly certified May 22, 2023. • CAFE conducted two additional engagement
meetings in October 2024 with extensive discussion related to the needs of older residents in South San Francisco.
Assessment
• Service providers and residents from the
community participated in these groups.
• In-depth discussions focused on discovering
unmet needs in the older adult community from their perspective. CAFE prioritized the residents' ideas for potential projects to address these needs (Refer to link under Appendix A).
Assessment (Cont.)
To become Age-Friendly certified, SSF focused on the following potential Age-Friendly inaugural projects:
• Expanding the free shuttle route.• Rest areas were strategically placed at City-sponsored community events and festivals.
• SSF Rotary Club collaborated with the City to Purchase a parcel of land to develop a 142-unit affordable senior housing complex. • SSF Police Department implemented Project Guardian.
Center for Age-Friendly Excellence
• Developed an Older Adult Community Resources
Display at SSF’s Senior Center.
• City has adopted an “age-friendly lens” for all
community projects and services as a standard procedure for each department. • The Action Plan is a living document. It is not static, but will continually evolve in order to ensure relevance and effectiveness in supporting older residents.
Center for Age-Friendly Excellence
• Focus group discussions focused on all eight
domains in addition to a domain CAFE (Center for Age-Friendly Excellence) developed: Emergency Services. • Interviews with staff were conducted with various
departments February 2025.
Recent Assessments
GOAL: Provide safe, accessible indoor and outdoor
environments in the community for all residents to relax, enjoy, and socialize.
• Develop a senior ad hoc subcommittee to research and discuss more comfortable seating and providing “age-friendly furniture.” • Promote pedestrian safety among older adults and enhance safe neighborhoods.
• Utilize parks and open spaces to promote relaxation, socialization, health wellness, and programming opportunities.
Domain 1: Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
GOAL: Enforce traffic safety and improve mobility options for older adults.
• Educate older adults on various transportation resources and develop an age-friendly page on the city website with transportation resource subheading. • Look for ways to partner with cities to provide transportation options.• Research and implement additional parking options, traffic safety for older adults.
Domain 2: Transportation
GOAL: To provide resources and options for older adults to age in place, in addition to gathering input from residents on future housing policies.
• Provide, educate, and disseminate information to increase awareness of available affordable housing options and promote a mix of diverse housing. • Partner with services and develop a list to assist seniors looking to hire trusted repair providers.
• Ensure adults have an opportunity to engage in future planning.
Domain 3: Housing
GOAL: Provide opportunities that support social interaction and promote respect for all ages, abilities, and cultures.
• Offer a broader spectrum of activities, programs and social activities for older adults.
• Offer activities and events that support intergenerational interaction.• Provide opportunities to enhance the participation of the homebound.
Domain 4: Social Participation
GOAL: Ensure access to information about resources and
activities for older adults is available at centralized locations, widely distributed, and in multiple languages.
• Provide classes, technology training, and support that improves the digital literacy of older adults.
• Increase accessibility to computers, WiFi, and tech classes.• Increase outreach to the senior community in areas where they gather.
Domain 5: Communication and Information
GOAL: Provide an environment that promotes inclusivity and respect for the community’s older residents.
• Offer education and training to increase acknowledgment and respect for older adults i.e.: Media campaign “Kindness Campaign”. • Offer intergenerational activities and events so both young and old can learn from each other; include cultural diversity.
• Include culturally diverse activities in multiple languages.
Domain 6: Respect and Social Inclusion
GOAL: Provide older adults opportunities for continued
community engagement through volunteer roles or
employment.
• Broaden promotion and availability of opportunities for older residents to volunteer or find employment.
• Provide City information in formats that increase opportunities for older adults to access and participate conveniently.
• Partner with schools to establish volunteer opportunities for older adults.
Domain 7: Civic Participation/Employment
GOAL: Provide an environment with programs and resources that support aging in the community with a positive quality of life. • Increase awareness of available resources in San Mateo County. • Provide more workshops for older adults (financial scamming, estate planning, advanced directives, and medical health related workshops).
Domain 8: Community Support & Health Services
GOAL: Educate and ensure older adults are aware and included in emergency preparedness operations.
• Provide emergency preparedness training for older adults throughout the city.
• Establish, promote, and maintain emergency-related programs and activities.
Emergency Services
• Potential Age-Friendly projects
• Current Age-Friendly practices• City of South San Francisco history• City Government• Demographic Profile• AARP Livability Index• Acknowledgement and Resource Pages Appendices
• On August 2022, an Introduction of Age-Friendly City Initiative was brought to South San Francisco.
• In May 2024, CAFE and Parks and Recreation Staff met to start the process in developing an Age-Friendly Action Plan.
Process
• In June 2025, the SSF Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the Draft Action Plan.
• On June 26, the Age-Friendly Task Force reviewed the Draft AgeFriendly Action Plan.• On October 22, 2025 - Council Action: Approve and adopt, by Motion, the SSF Age-Friendly Action Plan.
Process
Questions?
Center for Age-Friendly Excellence