Aging and Disability Action Plan Moves from Vision to Action

October 12, 2026 8:44 AM
by Alana Riemermann

City Launches Three-Year Effort to Build a More Age- and Disability-Friendly Santa Monica

The city of Santa Monica has officially launched its Aging and Disability Action Plan, a three-year roadmap to improve community livability for older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers.

Adopted by the City Council in fall 2025 following extensive community engagement, the Action Plan includes 26 goals focused on mobility, social connection, housing stability, communication and emergency preparedness.

Implementation is now underway citywide. City staff from each department, in collaboration with community partners, have developed detailed work plans for how to reach each goal identified by the community, and how to measure their progress along the way.

"The Aging and Disability Action Plan reflects the voices of the community members it’s meant to serve,” Housing and Human Services Department Director Aileen Reynolds said. “It represents our commitment to creating a Santa Monica where people of all ages and abilities thrive.”

Since the Action Plan’s adoption, the city has already made progress on several priority initiatives:

Mobility, Access and Inclusive Public Spaces

Big Blue Bus expanded the hours of its Mobility on Demand Every Day, or MODE, transportation service from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. to the current operating hours of 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., seven days a week.
Big Blue Bus increased the percentage of bus stops with seating from 82 percent to 86 percent. In June, Big Blue Bus added more transit security officers, extended shifts and implemented a new response model to address safety concerns for riders and drivers more rapidly.

Housing Stability and Affordability

In July, the Santa Monica Renter Aid program began accepting applications for direct financial assistance and housing stabilization services from eligible renter households facing housing instability or at risk of homelessness, with priority for older adults and people with disabilities. The program is expected to assist approximately 150 vulnerable renter households each year.

Connected and Resilient Community

The city launched an Intergenerational Collaborative to develop more programming in Santa Monica that helps strengthen connections between generations.

Over the next three years, the city will continue its work to complete all the priorities in the Action Plan while providing quarterly progress updates and annual reports to the community. Progress will be shared via community presentations, print articles, written updates to City Council, blog posts on the city website, and social media posts.

Stakeholders are encouraged to stay informed about the project, join in on new community events and activities, and benefit from improvements in the community advanced by the Action Plan priorities.

Stay informed by visiting santamonica.gov/aging-and-disability-action-plan.

Authored By

Alana Riemermann
Senior Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Analyst

Authored By

Categories