New York Times
November 28, 2014
An offshoot of the sharing economy, virtual villages are popping up all over the country. Currently, there are 140 villages in 40 states, according to Village to Village Network, which helps establish and manage the villages. Another 120 virtual villages are on the drawing boards. These villages are low-cost ways to age in place and delay going to costly assisted-living facilities, say experts. Yearly membership dues average about $450 nationally, and most villages offer subsidies for people who cannot afford membership costs. Armies of volunteers, who help run many villages, also help lower member costs by doing yard work, picking up prescriptions or taking members shopping or to the airport.
VtV Network
Connect here with Villages that are sprouting up in communities across the country. Because together we have the power and means to design our own futures and keep control of our own lives.
Home page of Beacon Hill Village, a member-driven organization for Boston residents 50 and over, which provides programs and services so members can lead vibrant, active and healthy lives, while living in their own homes and neighborhoods. One of the oldest in the Village movement.
Washington Post
March 25, 2015
Perhaps you know about “aging in place” and the community-based “Village” movement organized to provide support for elderly people who want to remain in the old neighborhood rather than relocating to an assisted-living facility. Now there’s a relatively new term: “NORC,” for naturally occurring retirement community. A NORC is a community where aging in place occurs organically. NORC residents are aging in place despite owning a home larger than they need; despite the cost and inconvenience associated with continual home upkeep and maintenance they would just as soon avoid; and despite coping with winter weather year after year.
Albuquerque Journal
September 15, 2016
In a rural community with an aging population, the members of Village in the Village have found a way to curb social isolation while helping Corrales seniors live independently in their homes longer. Board member Chris Wentz said the group makes that happen by hosting social events and helping connect members who may need help with transportation or a household chore with other members who are happy to step in.
"We Need Each Other": Seniors Are Drawn to New Housing Arrangements
New York Times
February 27, 2019
As the population ages, alternatives to living alone are becoming more popular. It may involve sharing a house or moving to a specially designed co-housing, or "villages." This article describes what each is, highlighting the Village movement around the country.
Turning Away from Nursing Homes, to What?
New York Times
April 1, 2021
After the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a disproportionate number of illnesses and deaths in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, people are looking for alternatives for themselves or their aging relatives. But home care can be expensive and hard to find. Structural changes - including Medicare and Medicaid support for in-home care at a living wage - is critical. Support networks like Village in the Village are also important to allowing more people to "age in place." For more, see
Covid Pandemic Forces Families to Rethink Nursing Home Care (NYTimes May 6, 2021)
Generation X Volunteers Want to Help You, and One Day Themselves, Age at Home
New York Times
March 13, 2022
The Village movement has spread across the country, using a variety of structures dependent on volunteers to help people age in their homes. An increasing number of younger people are recognizing the value of this effort, and are stepping up now to volunteer, hoping that someone will be available to help them later.
It Takes a Village
The Paper
July 7, 2022 (updated July 9)
Village in the Village is part of a larger, national movement to help older residents remain in their homes. It's also serving as a model for new "Villages" in Albuquerque and the surrounding area.