Commission on Aging to focus on universal design ̶ age-friendly housing techniques for remodeling or building your home

Vancouver, WA – February 12, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Age-friendly housing will be the topic of a Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting of the Commission on Aging.

The meeting will be 4:30-6 p.m. in the sixth-floor hearing room of the Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St. It is open to the public, and a chance for Clark County residents to share concerns about needs of local residents.

Speakers will be Howard and Sharon Johnson, co-founders of the nonprofit Age-Friendly Innovators, which teaches building professionals and homeowners about aging in place. The Southern Oregon couple conducts workshops to encourage developing age-friendly housing.

Sharon Johnson, a retired Oregon State University associate professor and healthy aging columnist, has taught classes on slip-proofing homes to avoid falls and giving a home an age-friendly makeover. She produced the six-part series, Age-Friendly Rogue Valley, on Rogue Valley Community Television. The series was sponsored by AARP Oregon.

Howard Johnson is semi-retired from international work in marine conservation. In 2010, he was named a Purpose Prize Fellow for his work as a social innovator. Purpose Prize is a large-scale investment in people older than 60 who combine passion and experience for social good, according to the encore.org website.

Following a national trend, Clark County’s population of 60+ is growing and projected to almost double by 2030. The Board of County Councilors appointed the aging commission to help the county and local cities implement an Aging Readiness Plan. It has 91 strategies about housing, transportation, recreation, lifestyle choices, support services and civic and social engagement.

For more information: www.clark.wa.gov/aging.

Colete Anderson, Community Planning
Phone: (360) 397-2280 ext. 4516
Colete.Anderson (at) clark.wa (dot) gov