Agency History

In 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Older Americans Act into law. Arguably the most comprehensive legislation affecting older Americans, the Act enacted broad funding for a local infrastructure of senior services through government entities and service providers.

In 1972 the Metropolitan Council (Off Site) was designated by the Minnesota Board on Aging (Off Site) as the area agency on aging for the seven county region. The Met Council served as governing board and an Advisory Committee was appointed to make policy and funding recommendations.

During the 1970’s the Area Agency on Aging’s work focused on planning and funding a system of services under the Older Americans Act through three year grant awards that fell under very broad priorities.

The 1980’s saw the development of formal “Service Delivery Plans” for each county.  Through this process more specific Older Americans Act funding priorities were developed.  Funding roles of counties, the United Way (Off Site) and the Area Agency on Aging were also defined. In 1986 a commitment was made to fund services for minority elders and hence the first Special Access projects were funded.

In 1994, under the Carlson Administration, the Met Council was directed to focus on its core roles and divest of regional planning and other functions that were not a close fit.  At this time the Minnesota Board on Aging completed a process to designate an organization as the area agency on aging, a non-profit organization – Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging, Inc.

The Minnesota Board on Aging required area agencies on aging to provide the Senior LinkAge Line® information and assistance program in 1996. This resulted in the establishment of a call center staffed by information and assistance specialists on site.

Congress and President Clinton reauthorized the Older Americans Act in 2000 and included the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP). NFCSP was designed to support individuals caring for older adults and grandparents raising grandchildren. MAAA and its community partners have strengthened and expanded services for caregivers via funding from this new title of the Older Americans Act.

In 2004 the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging celebrated its decade anniversary!

Citing financial savings MAAA utilized funding to purchase and renovate a building, moving the organization to North Saint Paul in 2006.

View MAAA's current Board Members

View MAAA's current Staff

Updated 04/05/2007