(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser recognized District centenarians at the Annual Salute to DC Centenarians, a luncheon to honor the tremendous contributions made by DC residents who are 100 years old or older.

“Today’s celebration is an opportunity to recognize these extraordinary seniors for all they have done and continue to do for their families, neighborhoods, and our entire city,” said Mayor Bowser. “My Administration remains committed to ensuring that Washington, DC continues to be an age-friendly city where residents of every age – whether they’re 100 days old or 100 years old – can live and thrive.”

Through Age-Friendly DC, a citywide initiative guided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bowser Administration has worked to transform Washington, DC into an easier place to grow older, and the District is now on pace to become only the third US city designated by the WHO as an Age-Friendly City.

Announced earlier the month, “DC Values in Action,” the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2018 Budget and Financial Plan, includes additional investments in housing, employment opportunities, public safety, transportation, and wellness programs that will allow more seniors in DC to age in place and live purposeful lives. Investments include:

• $3 million for the Safe at Home program;
• $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund and $10 million in the Housing Preservation Fund, ensuring the production and preservation of more affordable housing units, including senior apartments;
• $459,000 toward expanded transportation services to ensure seniors and people with disabilities most at risk of isolation have access to social, health, and wellness activities;
• $350,000 dedicated to increasing recreation and wellness activities that will give more seniors access to vital health, fitness, and nutrition programs;
• $300,000 committed to senior villages to support innovative programs that promote aging in place;
• $36.7 million toward employment initiatives that will link unemployed residents with employment, education, and training opportunities;
• $11.7 million toward increasing community safety and stability through police recruitment, and $530,000 to establish an Office of Community Engagement & Neighborhood Safety; and
• $4.5 million for increased street safety, including more Traffic Control Officers.

These investments will build on previous successes like the Safe at Home Program. Launched in 2016, Safe at Home has already installed safety adaptions in the homes of nearly 600 DC seniors and residents with disabilities, reducing the risk of falls and other injuries and allowing residents to age safely in their homes.

For more information on recognizing centenarians in Washington, DC, contact Darlene Nowlin, Community Relations Specialist, DC Office of Aging, at (202) 727-8634 or [email protected].