Seattle Mayor: Seniors are Getting 'Locked Out' of Tech Economy

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a panel at an AARP-hosted event that seniors are getting "locked out" of the city's technology economy, reports The Hill . She pointed to the massive flow of tech jobs into Seattle. "The bridges to that economy have been shut, so we really have to be looking at how do we make Seattle more affordable for more people?" Durkan asked. "How do we make sure that there's true economic opportunity both for our youth coming up, but also for our seniors and whatever their second and third acts are?" U.S. Census data projects that seniors will comprise almost 20 percent of the population in Seattle's King County by 2040. Durkan stressed that not only must senior access to Seattle's tech economy be assured, but also that cities should make a more concerted effort to serve the senior community in terms of housing and transportation. "We want a city where mobility is easy, people can walk to where they need to get, we have housing that is affordable near the places they want to live, and that they're in and around multiple generations," she said.