Aging Texas Well, opportunities for Texans across the lifespan
Chapter Four: Seeking Recognition for Your Community
Once communities complete their ATW Community assessment, they can
apply for community certification or recognition from one of the organizations
listed below. Though the organizations listed below are not affiliated with the
Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) or Aging Texas Well
(ATW), the certifications and recognitions they award build on the process
of community assessment and the infrastructure developed to complete the
assessment process. These organizations have their own rules and
requirements for application which are available on their respective
web sites.
Texas Department of Agriculture's Certified Retirement Community
Website: www.agr.state.tx.us
Process: A non-competitive certification process requiring communities to complete a checklist of requirements and develop a multi-year planning tool.
The Texas Certified Retirement Community Program is a new initiative from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to help rural Texas communities encourage retirees and potential retirees to make their homes in Texas communities that have met the criteria for certification by the department as a Texas Certified Retirement Community.
This program was created to promote Texas a retirement destination to retirees both inside and outside of the state, as well as encouraging tourism for the state. TDA offers a variety of tools on their website to create and market a certified retirement community, develop brochures, respond to direct inquires to certified communities, and showcase the benefits of retirement in Texas.
Environmental Protection Agency's Excellence in Building Healthy
Communities in Active Aging
Website: http://www.epa.gov/aging/bhc/awards/
Process: A competitive award process that has two annual deadlines and requires cities to compete against other applicants for a limited number of awards.
The principal goal of the Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Award program is to raise awareness across the nation about healthy synergies that can be achieved by communities combining Smart Growth and Active Aging Concepts.
Awards will be presented to communities that demonstrate the best and most inclusive overall approach to implementing smart growth and active aging at the neighborhood, tribe, municipality, county, and/or regional levels.
Two types of awards will be made – the Commitment Award and the Achievement Award. The Commitment Award recognizes communities that have developed and begun to initiate a specific plan to implement smart growth and active aging principles. The Achievement Award is given for overall excellence in building healthy communities for active aging.
Updated: April 11, 2012