Westchester County Livable Communities

The Westchester Livable Communities website is a community resource web portal provided by AARP,  the Department of Senior Programs and Services and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.

Welcome to the Westchester County Livable Communities website. This major information gateway is brought to you though an exciting collaboration between Westchester County, New York and AARP. We hope that you will take advantage of all that the site offers by using the links to learn more about the collaboration, community resources and the many groundbreaking projects it has produced.

The Westchester County  “Livable Communities: A Vision for All Ages, Bringing People and Places Together” initiative began in 2006, and is sponsored by the county’s Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services in partnership with AARP and the Volunteer Center of United Way. It’s goal is to keep seniors in their homes as they grow older with independence, dignity and civic engagement and develop communities that are friendly to seniors as well as to people of all ages.

What makes up a livable community?  A livable community is a set of informal services provided by volunteers to help seniors remain in their homes and continue to be productive and happy citizens.  Just a few primary features of livable communities are  health and wellness programs, educational and cultural programs, support services such as accessible and adequate transportation, personal safety, and consumer protection/advocacy for affordable housing, safe sidewalks and roads.

We received special recognition from AARP when it identified us as one of three Livable Community models in the United States. The program has also won many awards, including ones for innovation and groundbreaking work from the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging and the National Association of County Organizations.

The collaboration between Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services, the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services, and AARP is an expansive one and includes organizations such as not-for-profits, faith-based and academic institutions.


We want to encourage people to come together to think, make choices, and take action in ways that will improve their quality of life. We are proud of this “neighbors-helping-neighbors” program that teaches people of all generations how to empower themselves to become advocates for change.

Please visit the Weschester County Senior Programs and Services page to learn more about our program, such as the ones for the Livable Community Village Approach brochure and the Livable Community Village Needs/Interests Survey booklet. The booklet will help ur group to focus on what they consider the most pressing needs where they live.

Livable Community Villages are networks of people with shared interests.  And the good news is such villages already exist throughout Westchester in the form of neighborhood associations, houses of worship, congregate housing and civic and social organizations. They are places where people of all ages interact, where helping your neighbor is a way of life, and there is a commitment to safety and ease of getting around.  Click here for a list of Villages Community Enrollment

If you need to contact DSPS, call (914) 813-6441 or e-mail cap2@westchestergov.com.