Andrée Tremoulet

Manufactured Home Parks: NORCs Awaiting Discovery

This article examines manufactured home parks as a type of naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) and considers the potential for adding social service programs (SSP) to enable further aging in place. An analysis of six focus group interviews with 48 residents found that the physical and social environment promoted a sense of safety and community, and that this housing option was an intentional lifestyle choice. Risks included the possibility of bad management and park closure. Manufactured home parks were found to offer an attractive option for exploring a NORC-SSP model that builds on residents’ assets and community capacity.