Study Compares Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities and Villages

​Both naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) and villages support aging in place, but the populations they serve and the services they provide differ in some important ways, founda study in the December 2013 Gerontologist. A NORC is a network of services and volunteers developed by older adults, building owners, service providers, and other community organizations. Villages are driven by members and focus on providing “supportive services (e.g., transportation, home maintenance, companionship) and referrals to existing community services.” NORCs arose from collaboration among existing housing and service providers, whereas villages were initiated by older adults. The researchers identified 84 NORCs and 80 villages currently in operation (120 other villages are in development); program leaders from 62 NORCs and 69 villages responded to the survey. Government grants and contracts were the predominant source of the program budget in NORCs (65%); in villages, membership dues played the largest role (48%).