Aging and Disability Action Plan

The City of Santa Monica has created its own age- and disability-friendly action plan to address the current, emerging, and future needs of older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers. The project was made possible by a grant from the California Department of Aging and with support from the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

The direction of Santa Monica’s plan was guided by the Action Plan Advisory Committee which included community stakeholders, subject matter experts, non-profit partners, City commissioners, and City staff. To inform the plan, the City conducted a series of community assessment activities, gathering insights from over 500 stakeholders including older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, service providers, and other community members. This feedback shaped the strategic priorities of the Action Plan.

On September 9, 2025, the Santa Monica City Council approved the Aging and Disability Action Plan, marking an important milestone in the City’s commitment to equity, accessibility, and livability for all ages and abilities.

City Progress on the Action Plan Goals

The Santa Monica Aging and Disability Action Plan marks the beginning of a three-year effort to make the community even more age- and disability-friendly.

Progress towards the Action Plan goals will be shared with the community via regular community presentations, written updates to City Council, on the City website, and via social media posts. At the end of the three-year implementation, the City will assess the impact of implementing the plan and submit a progress report to AARP as part of expectations of being a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities.

The City is committed to transparency, deep listening, working with community partners and an adaptive implementation of the process to reach the goals of Santa Monica’s Aging and Disability Action Plan.

Download the Santa Monica Aging and Disability Action Plan here or see the FAQ below for more information about the Plan’s goals.

Contact Us:

(310) 458-2200 x. 5771
humanservices@santamonica.gov

FAQ

1. Mobility, Access & Inclusive Public Spaces

A. Expand On-Demand Transit
Expand operating hours of the Mobility on Demand Every Day (MODE) transportation service for adults aged 65+ or 18+ with a disability to 8am–6pm, seven days a week. Note: current operating hours are Monday–Friday, 8am–4:30pm; Saturday, 8:30am–4pm; Sunday service is currently suspended.

B. Place Seating at More Bus Stops
Install and maintain seating at 85% of all bus stops in the City, prioritizing high-usage routes and areas with higher concentrations of older adults and people with disabilities.

C. Enhance Safety on Public Transit
Big Blue Bus will continue its focus on cleanliness and safety by maintaining transit security officer hours on local bus routes.

D. Create an Aging Lens for Equity – Informed Mobility and Safety Enhancements
Create tools to determine and map the density and location of older adults and people with disabilities. This data will be used by City departments (Public Works Department and Department of Transportation) when evaluating roadway and public right-of-way safety enhancements (e.g., crosswalk enhancements and sidewalk repairs).

E. Repair Sidewalks on a Regular Basis
The Public Works Department will continue its focus on public safety and accessibility by repairing two sidewalks per month in accordance with the City Sidewalk Repair Policy.

F. Increase Accessibility in City-Owned Facilities
Propose a Capital Improvement Project in the City’s FY 2026–27 Biennial Budget to conduct the City’s required ADA compliance audit of City-owned facilities (including buildings, parks, and outdoor spaces) and develop an ADA Transition Plan, with enhanced recommendations and wayfinding to support access and circulation.

2. Connected & Resilient Community

A. Enhance Social Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities
Identify internal or external funding sources to reinstate Santa Monica Adaptive Recreation and Sports Social Club, and Explorer's Program, to create social experiences for people with disabilities ages 13+, and their friends, via weekly social connection, and monthly excursions, supported by a City staff member and volunteers.

B. Strengthen Intergenerational Connections
Pilot four intergenerational programs at existing community hubs with potential partners to include City departments and community organizations and groups.

C. Explore Feasibility of a Santa Monica Village
Study models and funding sources to determine feasibility of seeding a grass- roots, neighbor-to-neighbor Santa Monica Village, which is a volunteer-driven organization that builds community through social programs, and coordinates support services like non-medical household tasks and transportation.

D. Increase Caregiver Support
Expand and promote support programs for family caregivers in partnership with community organizations, with the goal of increasing caregiver participation; inclusive of support groups, trainings, caregiver check-ins, respite care, and mental health help.

E. Reduce Isolation and Strengthen Connection to Community Services
Complete an inventory of friendly calling programs serving older adults and people with disabilities in Year 1. Use findings to identify service gaps, inform upcoming funding opportunities, and guide updates to the City’s online resource listings.

F. Increase Awareness about Government Benefits
Host annual in-person resource fairs focused on topics such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and care services at libraries, senior centers, and other community locations. Host two events annually, helping 200+ people each year.

G. Host Community and Health Services Information on City Website
Create a comprehensive listing of community and health services on the City’s website to be shared with residents via a variety of communication methods. Resources to include links to City programs, non-profit agencies, social events/clubs, and other government services for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers.

H. Enhance Police Responsiveness to the Needs of Elder and Dependent Adults
Every two years, provide training to educate Santa Monica Police Department’s sworn officers on how to best respond to and assist elder and dependent adults.

3. Coordinated Communication & Outreach

A. Inventory of Outreach and Promotion Tactics
Produce an inventory of existing communication and outreach tactics across departments.

B. Standardize Outreach and Promotion Tactics
Enhance the City’s communication/outreach protocol with standardized guidance on how to promote information through tactics that connect with the range of ways people get information beyond digital, e.g. print, word-of-mouth, flyers, mail, billboards, information posted at City and community-partner locations; leverage digital accessibility standards, and provide guidance on strategies to equitably engage diverse older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers.

4. Housing Stability & Affordability

A. Expand Rental Assistance
Increase the number of older adults and people with disabilities receiving financial assistance to maintain housing or cover basic living expenses by 30%.

B. Expand the City’s Preserving our Diversity (POD) Program
Increase the number of participants in the POD program from 220 to 300 people.

C. Increase Awareness about Housing Resources
Host three housing workshops annually with information for older adults and people with disabilities —held at libraries, parks, or nonprofit community partners—focused on resources that support housing retention and address housing crises, reaching a total of 100 attendees.

D. Develop more Affordable Housing for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Develop or enter into pre- development for 50 low income, 50 very low income, and 50 extremely low income units for older adults and people with disabilities, for a total of 150 affordable units.

5. Inclusive Emergency Preparedness

A. Increase Support Available to Vulnerable Populations during Emergencies
Host four community enrollment events annually to encourage older adults and people with disabilities to register for the Santa Monica Fire Department’s Community Connect – a free emergency preparedness program which allows residents to share details about their household’s access and functional needs (including pets) to inform the Fire Department’s situational awareness during emergencies. Goal to outreach to 1,000 households total from this target population.

B. Increase Emergency Preparedness among Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Host four emergency preparedness educational and outreach events annually with a specific focus on preparing older adults and people with disabilities. Work with Santa Monica Neighborhood Councils, places of worship, libraries, non-profit organizations, schools, and other community-based settings to promote the trainings.

C. Support Property Manager Readiness for Emergency Evacuations
Identify and promote existing resources that outline evacuation steps for building managers and provide to 100% of Assisted Living and Senior Housing facilities in Santa Monica.

D. Enhance City’s Emergency Management Plans for Safe Evacuation of People with Access and Functional Needs
In alignment with Local Hazard Mitigation Plan commitments, City emergency management, first responders and other service providers to create all-department city evacuation plan, focusing on wildfire, tsunami and dam inundation evacuation. Plan to include processes to support the safe evacuation of people with access and functional needs, including those in assisted living or high-rise buildings and those without access to private transportation.

E. Enhance Transit Partners Readiness for Emergency Evacuations
As part of city’s evacuation planning process, City Office of Emergency Management and Santa Monica Fire Department to convene local transit partners to contribute to city’s emergency evacuation planning process. Once plan is approved, transit partners to review annually for updates (e.g., evaluating evacuation routes, potential of expanding Big Blue Bus MODE service area or services hours under emergency declaration).

F. Increase Availability of High-Rise Building Evacuation Tools
Santa Monica Fire Department to identify and secure external funding resources to install evacuation chairs or other emergency evacuation devices (e.g., Med Sled) in 5 high-risk buildings.