As the United States grapples with an aging population projected to reach 82 million by 2050, many experts advocate for a transformative approach to senior living: cohousing. This innovative model, which fosters community and interdependence, is gaining traction and offers a sustainable solution for the growing number of seniors seeking companionship and support during their later years.
Charles Durrett, a leading advocate for cohousing, believes that a village-like setting is the optimal way to navigate life’s various stages. “Cohousing allows people to do everything from growing up to raising children to growing old,” he states. This multigenerational idea creates a welcoming space. Here, people of all ages can both live and flourish alongside one another, a striking contrast to conventional senior living alternatives.
There are now about 170 cohousing communities in the United States, with an intriguing variety of residents, ranging from young families to seniors. Margaret Critchlow has been a leading force behind the growth of the cohousing community. She helped write an alternative track research guide for future residents and knows how powerful this model can be. She started to get the idea while figuring out how to put her own mother in care back in about 2010.
The cohousing movement is not just a passing fad locally. It has received widespread support overseas. In Denmark, government and institutional lenders established pro-cohousing zoning codes and affordable financing structures. Thus 80,000 more seniors are ready to move into these communities in the next five years alone. This trend unmistakably demonstrates that they value this housing type more than other options such as nursing homes.
As Nadthachai Kongkhajornkidsuk states, making cohousing financially accessible is key to growing cohousing and increasing racial diversity in these communities. He makes the case that increasing access to economic barriers can naturally draw a wider demographic and enhance the social fabric of cohousing.
Dr. Anne P Glass, who advocates for the talents of America’s seniors, believes the nation has lost faith in their abilities. “Contrary to what society may believe, older people are really quite competent,” she states. She focuses on how older people themselves can offer mutual aid, forming a community of seniors who look out for each other. “Most older people can help each other, and that’s a source of support that hasn’t been recognized very well,” Dr. Glass explains.
ElderSpirit, a successful senior cohousing in Virginia, provides a great example of the positive impact this model can have. Across the street, Harbourside Cohousing serves as another example of success, sheltering 51 residents in a 12-unit, three-acre development. These developments are shining examples of how seniors can age in place while promoting positive, lasting interactions with their community members.
The benefits of cohousing go beyond the lifestyle. Beyond creating new communities, it actively responds to the pressing national crises of isolation and loneliness afflicting so many seniors today. Maddamma, a member of one such settlement area, recalls her experience living in temporary spaces before settling down. “I had to search. I joined various clubs. I started a book club,” she recalls. When asked about it, she even admits that such disparate past places of residence quite literally didn’t connect. “I realized that I spent a good part of my adult life searching for community,” she admits.
Durrett addresses some of the most basic fears of living cheek by jowl with one’s neighbors. He asks, “How if I just don’t like people?” He reassures potential residents by stating, “Well, you’re not gonna get along with everybody, but if we do this right, you’re gonna have five or six best friends living next door.” This lens shines a light on the possibility, and even a prerequisite, of deep social connection that can develop in cohousing spaces.
Despite these advantages, challenges remain. The success of cohousing, as with most collaborative communities, hinges almost entirely on people’s ability—and desire—to connect with their neighbors and involve themselves in communal life. Dr. Glass points out the real fear many seniors face: “I’ve had people say, ‘I was afraid I would die in my apartment one day and nobody would know,’ which is a very real thing. It’s something that likely occurs every day in the US.