Growth Of Senior Population In El Paso Merits Community Changes
EL PASO, TX. – The baby boomer generation is aging and that meansthe population in the borderland will change drastically over the next 25 years.
One local group is trying to make sureEl Paso isprepared for the sky rocketing senior population. The population of seniors is expected to grow by 81% in the next 25 years!
That means 1 in every 5 people in El Paso will be a senior. That’s why it could be critical for every community to plan for the coming wave. Wednesday at the Rio Grande Council of Governments, seniors and local organizations gathered to work on building a plan to address the changesheaded forEl Paso’spopulation.
They focused on issues that affect community living for seniors like housing, transportation and recreation. Will el paso have enough senior accesible sidewalks and housing? Will there be enough caregivers and financial protection and support?
These are just some of the important issues this group is trying to address. “We need neighborhoods that are more ‘walkable,’ where a senior doesn’t have to drive their car. And they’re able togo andget their prescriptions and they’re able to go to the grocery store or just take a walk for exercise. These are things that we’re hoping that, as we develop our plan, that we’ll be able to advocate,” said Laura Ponce, theProjectCoordinator for the Rio GrandeCouncil of Governments.
The plan this organization has put together is expected to be revealed in December and they will be inviting the public to come and check it out. For more information on this or to find out howresidents can get involved call 915/533-0998.
