New community connections and new coalitions.
Those have been some of the immediate benefits from the launch of Age-Friendly Leonia, a community initiative that had been percolating for several years and then gained steam after being selected for a New Jersey Age-Friendly Communities Grant.
Grant funds enabled this borough nestled alongside Interstate 80 – just minutes from the George Washington Bridge – to engage the Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services (CREEHS) at Montclair State University to conduct a detailed community survey of residents age 55 and older.
More than 500 older residents responded to the survey and numerous focus groups and stakeholder sessions were held across the borough, including with seven different religious congregations and seven civic organizations. The researchers also analyzed U.S. Census data to compile a report that offered leaders of the Age-Friendly Leonia initiative a robust picture of their community’s strengths and challenges, as well as of older residents’ needs and preferences.
The proportion of adults ages 55 and older in Leonia has grown by 50% from 2010 to 2024, and its median age and percentage of older adults are slightly higher than the rates in Bergen County and New Jersey as a whole. The town also is home to large Hispanic and Asian populations, with 48% of residents over age 65 being foreign-born and 37% speaking a language other than English.
First settled in 1668 as farming community, Leonia is one of the oldest towns in New Jersey. Today its 1.5-square miles are more densely developed than Bergen County and New Jersey as a whole, yet its residents extoll the borough’s “walkable streets, abundance of trees and beautiful parks,” said Ellen Healy, chair of the Age-Friendly Leonia initiative.
“The overwhelming majority of residents want to stay in Leonia, though 75% report difficulty living independently,” Healy said of the survey results. “Public and outdoor spaces rate high and there is a desire for more benches around town. While most respondents are tech savvy, they need easier access to information and resources. Health and fitness programming get high marks though there is a need for more mental health resources as well as culturally sensitive services.”
With its survey and information-gathering steps completed, Age-Friendly Leonia is developing an action plan with input from its community partners, a coalition that includes the mayor and council, the borough administrator and representatives from the senior center, rec center, police department, fire department and Board of Health.
Initial priorities already identified include developing and launching a teen volunteer corps to help older residents who need assistance with yard cleanups and snow removal and compiling a Leonia-centric resource guide that will be available on-line and in print in English, Korean and Spanish.
Leaders also want to continue their diverse offering of in-person events, which have included informational sessions on property tax relief programs, digital technology, and aging-in-place strategies as well as support programming planned by Leonia’s Senior Center and Rec Center, alongside which Age-Friendly Leonia works. Programs include line dancing, chair yoga, Mahjongg, pickleball and a Thanksgiving turkey trot.
“We have been delighted to see how our educational programming has fostered social connection among residents who come for the program and then linger afterwards to chat with old friends and make new ones,” Healy said. “In addition, we have been strengthened by our ability to create coalitions among many of our Borough departments and committees, and through connections with civic and spiritual organizations in town.”