Issue Position: Seniors

Issue Position

Fort Collins is a great place to retire, in part due to its outdoor and cultural opportunities. Seniors play a very important role in our community. Volunteering and contributing to the community is a crucial part of retirement and growing older. The "baby boom" generation has a lifetime of experience, wealth, and knowledge that can be harnessed to create a positive change in our community. As Fort Collins works to prepare for helping our seniors, seniors will also help to prepare Fort Collins to solve the community issues.

In the last two sessions, we have worked to restore, as well as allocate additional funding to the Older Coloradans Act, which supports such crucial programs as Meals on Wheels, transportation solutions, affordable healthcare, affordable housing and home services and programs for our elderly. In addition, in 2014 the legislature passed several tax measures to help Colorado seniors in cases where their property may have been lost in the recent floods or fires, as well as credits to assist low-income seniors with their heating bills.

Other key issues we have worked on is improving and strengthening in-home services to both seniors and developmentally disabled Coloradans, with HB14-1357. When citizens have to rely on these crucial services, we are obligated to ensure that quality care is available and consumers are protected. That's why I will continue to listen and work hard to address the needs of our seniors, and find every effort to make sure they can continue to lead healthy, secure, and independent lives they deserve.

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