OCEANSIDE — The city is collecting surveys asking residents to help make Oceanside ‘age-friendly’ for seniors and people living with disabilities.
After the city joined the AARP Age-Friendly Network earlier this year, the San Diego Foundation funded the city to partner with the Center for Excellence in Aging and Longevity at the San Diego State University Social Policy Institute to develop a five-year plan to help improve livability in Oceanside.
“Oceanside’s senior population is growing exponentially, and it will be increasingly important that we are intentional in how we think about infrastructure and services so that Oceanside is a place where people can age on their own terms,” said Oceanside Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Gonzalez.
AARP has identified the following eight “domains of livability” that will provide a framework for the city to focus its plan: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, work and civic engagement, communication and information, and community and health services.
“This process will help define how we approach policies and planning with an age-friendly lens,” Gonzalez said. “It is critical that our action plan is reflective of the entire Oceanside community, so we are working hard to ensure that we are inclusive and engaging with our most vulnerable populations.”
In 2024, the city received a 53 overall livability score, which is in the top half of communities nationally. Oceanside had a score of 61 in the category of ‘neighborhood,’ which includes access to parks, libraries, grocery stores and crime rates.
Oceanside also excelled in the ‘health’ category, with a score of 65 due to lower rates of obesity, smoking and healthcare professional shortages as well as higher access to exercise opportunities.
The city has an “Age Friendly Action Plan” webpage with more information about the domains of livability and a link to the survey, which is available in English and Spanish. Oceanside residents can also pick up a survey at any Oceanside senior center, recreation center, library or community resource center or take the survey online.
The city has also assembled a group of community members to serve as an advisory group that will help guide the development of its action plan. Staff has been working with AARP to develop a coalition of “age friendly ambassadors” who will engage with the community to boost participation in the surveys and community listening sessions that will be scheduled early next year.
Anyone interested in becoming an ambassador can call 760-435-5561 or email [email protected].