Senior co-housing to combat loneliness
There is a trend that is rapidly growing in the United States, according to Business Insider. It is senior co-housing, a system of independent living quarters organized around a set of shared amenities, which targets self-sufficient seniors with the goal of promoting active aging. "Since 2005, 17 senior co-housing communities have opened in the United States, and according to an online directory maintained by a researcher at the University of North Carolina (Wilmington), at least six more are reportedly in development," the online news outlet explains.
There are many reasons for this growth: the rising cost of living and housing, an increase in investment in real estate, and the pandemic, which in some people has heightened the feeling of loneliness, and the subsequent desire to move to a co-housing community.
Welcome to Quimper Village
One of the most well-known and well-known senior co-housing communities is Quimper Village, located in Washington state. Quimper Village is a self-contained condominium community within which each member actively participates in communal life: each resident contributes to household chores to keep the Village and its sharing spaces clean and tidy. "We gather at the Common House for meals a couple of times a week; have coffee or a glass of wine with a friend when we feel like it, or maybe solve the world's problems on a rainy day on the back patio or in the store," reads the community's website. - But we also like to sit quietly at home and read or take up a hobby. We encourage each other to enjoy life, help each other out from time to time, and it all works out."
Inside Quimper Village live Pam and Jim (and no, they are not the ones from the hit TV series The Office US), who take care of the newsletter and the management of the communal spaces; Inge-lise has a passion for gardening and crocheting, and within the community she manages the social part; John, on the other hand, is involved in the maintenance of the buildings and gardens."Keeping a community active is not always easy," Salmon (another Quimper Village member) explained to Business Insider, " but this place gives us a chance to build solid friendships".
What about in Italy?
According to reports by Nomisma (a company that conducts market research), in Europe, the share of over-65s in the total population will increase from 19.7 percent in 2018 to 29.1 percent in 2060; while in Italy, the share of over-65s will be 34.3 percent in 2060 (it was 22.6 percent in 2018). The number of those over 80 will also grow, accounting for 16.1 percent of the Italian population in 2060, up from 7 percent in 2018. In the face of these forecasts, in the coming years it will also be crucial in our Parsr to give a concrete response to the phenomenon of aging.
Senior co-housing could therefore be a great answer to the housing needs of the new over-65s; and while co-housing in the United States and Northern Europe is growing steadily, Italy is still struggling to keep up. In Italy, 149.5 million euros have been invested in the sector, accounting for 2.1 percent of the total invested in 2019 in Europe (5.6 billion euros); in the Belpaese, 80 percent of the elderly live in owner-occupied homes, and another per stay in nursing homes the RSAs. "By proposing solutions designed to improve the quality of life of seniors (and their family members) and delaying or reducing the need for health care or hospital care, a significant reduction in public spending can also be fostered," Nomisma writes. Senior co-housing is a viable response to the housing needs of the aging population also, and especially, for our country.
Source: Elle