We know it takes time, work, and commitment to develop great communities, and we also believe quick-action, tangible projects can be the spark toward long-term progress.

AARP Connecticut is dedicated to working in partnership with local leaders, organizations, and residents across the state to help turn a vision into reality. As part of that effort, AARP Connecticut recently selected seven recipients of the 2024 Livable Communities Grant Program, a state extension of the national AARP Community Challenge grant initiative. Launched in 2018, the program has awarded grants for 45 quick-action projects to help Connecticut’s neighborhoods, towns, and cities be great places to live for people of all ages.

The AARP Connecticut Livable Communities Grant Program’s focus on tangible projects, community engagement, and its quick-action timeline helps selected grantees fast-track ideas and replicate promising practices. Previous projects have demonstrated an ability to garner additional funds or support from public and private funders, encourage innovation, overcome local policy barriers, and receive greater overall awareness and engagement. Projects range from small, short-term activities to larger, permanent solutions, but they must be completed within 12 months of receiving the funding. The 2024 recipients are:

• Airline Trail Steering Committee (Portland)
• City of West Haven
• Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust (Woodbury)
• Life Health and Wellness Center (Ansonia)
• SilverSource (Stamford)
• Thrive 55+ Active Learning Center (Groton)
• UR Community Cares (Manchester)

Learn more about the 2024 recipients at www.aarp.org/ct. AARP Connecticut launched the Livable Communities Grant Program, a local expansion of the national AARP Community Challenge initiative, to provide incorporated organizations that are 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) nonprofits and Connecticut municipalities with up to $5,000 for projects that aim to help neighborhoods, towns, and cities become great places for people of all ages.

While AARP Connecticut’s Livable Communities Grant Program is only open to Connecticut towns and nonprofits, AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative funds projects in all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. AARP announced on June 26 that it will fund 343 projects across the country in 2024, including seven in Connecticut, as part of its eighth annual AARP Community Challenge grant program. More than one thousand projects have been funded since the grant program began in 2017. Visit www.aarp.org/communitychallenge in early January for an announcement regarding the launch of the 2025 application process.

AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative also provides resources and publications to encourage local action, such as the Roadmap to Livability and the AARP book series Where We Live: Communities for All Ages. To learn more about AARP’s livable communities work across the country, please visit  www.aarp.org/livable.

This article was written by Nora Duncan, AARP CT Director.