For a town small in both land area and population, the borough of Frenchtown built an impressively large age-friendly coalition, followed by some concrete steps to improve communication and livability for its older residents.
“Over the course of our Age-Friendly initiative, we have received tremendous support and involvement from our community,” said Mayor Brad Myhre. More than 100 people have attended our two Mayor’s Town Halls, more than 200 residents responded to our online community needs assessment survey, and leaders of local businesses, churches, schools, non-profit civic organizations, local officials, and borough employees have all offered positive and constructive input to the process.”
At just 1.2 square miles, this nationally recognized historic community along the Delaware River has a walkable downtown filled with locally owned businesses, arts organizations, restaurants, and community gathering spaces. The borough is known as a riverfront destination for biking, walking, fishing, kayaking and tubing as well as for its annual festivals including Riverfest and a Bastille Day celebration honoring its French-inspired heritage.
Those features are among the reasons why the town has an impressive AARP Livability Index score of 61, placing it near some of New Jersey’s highest-rated small communities for livability.
There are aging-in-place challenges, however, for the 45 percent of Frenchtown households that include at least one resident age 60 or older. They include upkeep of the aging borough’s housing stock, with the median year most structures were built being 1938, which is more than four decades older than the median age of the county’s overall housing stock. Affordability is another concern, with the median income for residents over 65 calculated at $67,596, compared to $90,843 for the county.
To develop its age-friendly action plan, the Frenchtown Borough Council convened an Age-Friendly Committee and hired technical assistance from Rutgers University.
The final plan was presented at the June 3 Frenchtown Borough Council. It highlighted several achievements the borough has made since launching its initiative, including:
Increasing older adults’ access to information through the April 2026 launch of a new community newsletter called the Frenchtown Sun, the establishment of a borough email blast platform; and the hosting of more Mayor’s Town Hall events
Establishing an Operation Blue Angel program, in which the police department provides lock boxes to older residents, residents with disabilities, and caregivers who want to make sure entry into their homes is possible in the event of an emergency.
Adoption of a new property maintenance ordinance that, among other purposes, is intended to ensure that residents maintain sidewalks to improve pedestrian accessibility.
Initiating a process to consider ways in which local approvals can be streamlined to support aging-in-place home modifications.
Passage of new rental protections in the form of a rental registry for the 47 percent of Frenchtown residents who live in rental housing
Launch of a pilot program as part of the Borough’s Housing Element and Fair Share Plan (HEFSP) to allow building of Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO) units, self-contained unit on lots with existing homes that meet certain income, age and disability requirements.
The plan also suggests next steps, such as forming new strategic partnerships with the elementary school and with the town’s professional and business association. In July, Frenchtown received approval state approval to establish an Age-Friendly Municipal Trust, which would allow the Borough to actively seek funds to create a “Community Connector” role who could help spark new services and programs, coordinate a network of volunteers, and promote civic engagement opportunities.
“Our goal was always to prepare an action plan that can serve as an overarching strategic plan while, at the same time, implementing early actions that can build on the momentum that has been created,” Myhre said. “Doing so allows us to, together, build a more inclusive and supportive Frenchtown for all ages,” he added.