Adirondack Rural Health Network

Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC)

“NORC” — short for naturally occurring retirement community — is a community that was not originally built for seniors, but that now is home to a significant proportion of older residents. NORCs are not planned communities; rather, they evolve as residents age in place, seniors move into an age-integrated community, and seniors stay behind when younger residents move out. A neighborhood-based NORC is typically located in a neighborhood of one- and two-family homes.

By taking full advantage of the skills and experiences of senior residents and other resources, communities are finding strategies for supporting aging in place. Because of the density and proximity of seniors in NORCs, economies of scale make it possible to rethink the ways services can be organized and delivered, creating opportunities to make these communities good places in which to grow old.

Posted below are documents compiled by the Adirondack Rural Health Network as they partner with other community organizations as well as community members to research and plan a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community in the Warren and Washington County area.

Background Documents

1. Albany Neighborhood NORC Project, by Miriam Adler
2. Selected Demographic Indicators, by Robert Martiniano