1. Westbeth is Considered a NORC, a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community

Westbeth Artist Housing

Since Westbeth has retained many original tenants from 1970, which was almost fifty years ago, the majority of the tenant population is now over sixty years old, making Westbeth an official NORC, or Naturally Occurring Retirement Community. A NORC is a specific community or housing facility not originally designed for seniors but has a significant proportion of older residents. A Village Voice article from 2009 highlighted the challenges of the aging community such as the extra care and services some senior residents require.