Introduction
Housing is a social determinant of health. For example, if a home is isolated from the community, overcrowded, unsafe, or too cold or too hot, it can affect an older person’s health and well-being. In addition, if a home doesn’t accommodate the disabilities that may accompany aging, a person loses mobility and the ability to remain in their original home. Housing choices thus become critical to older adults’ health, well-being, and independence.
Often people want to grow old in their homes; public opinion research shows consistently that a strong majority (~80 percent) of adults ages 45 and over want to remain in their homes and communities as they age. These homes, however, may not work well for them over time. Among other things, people may experience:
- Isolation or loneliness, and loss of community
- Boredom
- Distance from family and friends
- Accessibility problems, such as stairs they can’t manage and bathrooms that present dangers, such as falls
- Problems doing home maintenance, such as cleaning and yard work
- Inability to drive, shop, and prepare meals
- Unaffordable housing costs
Among the housing options for older adults are independent living communities, retirement communities, subsidized housing, and shared housing. Shared housing choices can range from older homeowners taking in renters to cohousing communities. For example, SpareRoom.com, which is a roommate matching service, reports that the number of adults over 50 who are living with roommates is growing at about two times the rate of other age groups. Many in this group are doing so for financial reasons. This is particularly true of older adults who take in roommates so they can stay in their own
homes.
A cohousing community is another option. Cohousing is a decades-old concept involving people living in individual housing units that are organized around shared communal spaces, such as kitchens, gardens, dining rooms, and meeting rooms. These communities have a collective approach to daily life involving self-organization and group decisionmaking. The mixture of private and common space is designed to promote privacy as well as resident interaction and collaboration.
AARP is committed to exploring housing options for older adults because they need viable choices for:
- Remaining at home and in their communities, in line with their preferences
- Living in shared housing
- Living in housing with services and supports or nearby in the community.
This paper’s purpose is to spark discussion about cohousing as a viable housing option for older adults.
The paper covers two types of cohousing communities:
- Intergenerational communities, where older adult are among the residents
- Communities focused on older adults.
First, we describe cohousing communities and their typical design. Next, we describe development of cohousing and factors affecting it in four Northern European countries and the United States (US). Then we discuss what the research tells us so far about cohousing’s impact on residents in these countries. The next section summarizes common findings across the countries. The conclusion addresses policy barriers to cohousing and has recommendations for future research and development.