The Villages Project is an initiative to provide services to the elderly in their homes in order to allow them to age in place, without moving to an elder care facility. The concept originated with a group of citizens in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston in 2001. See Beacon Hill Village.

That initiative has inspired the formation of more than 200 Villages in the United States and other countries. The Village to Village Network was formed in 2010 to provide guidance, resources and support to help communities establish and maintain their Villages.

The Wikipedia article on “Elder village” is a useful primer on this topic. Note that “Village” in this context is a virtual village, really a nonprofit organization, not a municipal entity.

This concept is currently being explored by a group of interested citizens in Cambridge. The Cambridge Selectboard heard a presentation at its meeting on February 27, 2017 (minutes, see page 2) and will hear an additional presentation at its next meeting on May 15, 2017 (agenda).

UPDATE: Related – a New York Times article dated 5/19/17 about the architectural challenges of aging in place: Planning to Age in Place? Find a Contractor Now.