About the Master Plan for Aging (MPA)

Under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State has embarked on a State Master Plan for Aging (MPA). The MPA is designed to ensure that older adults and individuals of all ages can live healthy, fulfilling lives while aging with dignity and independence.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) are coordinating the MPA, building on decades of work and partnerships with state agencies, local governments and stakeholders. First announced in Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address and Fiscal Year 2023 State Budget, the MPA process was further directed by Executive Order No. 23, which Governor Hochul signed on November 4, 2022.

Learn about the governing structure of the MPA.

Background and History

In its structure and scope, the MPA is a new and unprecedented opportunity to support older adults and people of all ages. However, the MPA also builds on a longstanding foundation of existing coordinated work in New York. This work has long recognized that the concerns of older adults – and the opportunities to support them – exist across traditional service, infrastructure, and program boundaries.

The MPA’s origins extend from several preceding efforts and initiatives. These include Livable New York, in 2011, which helped municipalities better plan for the housing and community needs of older people, younger people with disabilities, families, and caregivers. In addition, the downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) – now in its sixth round of funding – has invigorated and enlivened smaller and rural downtowns to improve quality of life and foster age-friendly community spaces for people of all ages to thrive.

These and related efforts at the state and local levels led to a landmark distinction in 2017: New York became the first state in the nation enrolled into the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and AARP Network of Age-Friendly States. This Age-Friendly New York milestone was followed by Executive Order No. 190 (in 2018), which embeds age-friendly and livable principles into state policies, operation and procurement based on a Health Across All Policies Approach in alignment with New York’s Age-Friendly initiatives.

On November 4, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul directed an unprecedented new level of coordination, planning and policymaking with Executive Order No. 23 creating the first Master Plan for Aging in New York State, heralding a new era of support for older adults and people of all ages to succeed.

Experiences early in life have a cumulative impact on how successfully a person ages. The MPA offers a holistic and proactive focus, addressing needs and providing supports for individuals from childhood to mid-life to older age across programs, services, and policies.

New York ranks fourth in the nation in the number of individuals aged 60 and over, at 4.6 million. By 2030, this population is expected to reach 5.3 million. Also by 2030, over 51 counties will have a population with 25% of individuals being aged 60 and older. This highly valued population contributes substantially to the economic, social, and cultural vibrancy of our state. Such contributions are a source of strength that New York proactively embraces through supportive policies in the MPA. For instance:

• Approximately 935,000 individuals age 60 and over contribute 495 million hours of service at an economic value of $13.8 billion.
• 64% of older adults (60+) own their own homes and have no mortgage, contributing to the state and local tax base.
• Older adults also contribute directly to New York’s long term care system. There are 4.1 million caregivers in New York State, and their average age is 64. Their caregiving – for people of all ages – is valued at $32 billion, if paid at the market rate.

Find more of this data on NYS Office for the Aging’s website.

News

Governor Hochul Announces Stakeholder Advisory Committee for New York State's Master Plan for Aging December 22, 2022

Governor Hochul Signs Executive Order to Create New York's First-Ever Master Plan for Aging November 4, 2022

Executive Order No. 23: Establishing the New York State Master Plan for Aging November 4, 2022

Resources

Report: Age-Friendly New York (submitted to AARP by the New York State Department of State, New York State Department of Health and New York State Office for the Aging; March 2021)