FERRIDAY, La. – To attract and keep retirees, Louisiana communities must work to develop services, recreation, health care, affordable housing and public safety and must attract new employers, said Rochelle Dugas, executive director of the Louisiana Retirement Development Commission.

&uot;Today’s retirees know what they want, but what they want varies from person to person,&uot; Dugas told the Ferriday Chamber of Commerce at its Monday meeting. And since retirees are a $900 billion market, attracting older residents can be a boon to any local economy. The commission has a plan to certify Louisiana towns as retirement communities and can help local communities assess their offerings to determine which areas they need to improve to bring retirees to their areas, Dugas said.