In a world facing increasingly severe threats, including climate change and pandemics, we need to build resilient communities. ARC for the Future was a 30-month research project, working with seven community partners who provide high-quality accommodation for older residents. From these almshouse communities, some of which have been in place for hundreds of years, we can learn much about resilience, not only for almshouse communities but for society more generally. The project explored three perspectives: community, built environment and organisational resilience.