Co-Living Communities and our Ageing Society: Preparing for the Future

I co-host a large community on Facebook of people, most aged 50+, who share a common desire to challenge the media narrative around ageing called Advantages of Age.

Amongst the many topics we discuss, ranging from online dating, exercise regimes to whether we prefer to leave our grey hair au natural or dye it, how and where we want to live in the future is a hot topic.

Co-living is a popular option, but as one member acknowledges, “Finding other people with the same attitude, wanting to move to the same place, with the same amount of money, is difficult though!”

Another says, “By the sea and preferably warm. Community living with open-minded people is an attractive option. Near good public transport so not reliant on a car. Able to walk/cycle or wheelchair to shops, activities and entertainment.”

“I love the idea of cohousing where you get your own space as well as communal space. I facilitated a discussion on community living ages ago. I definitely would want to live in one where everyone is welcome, irrespective of gender, disability, etc.”

Many point to one of the few ‘successful’ developments, Older Women’s Co-Housing (OWCH), in Barnet. Maria Brenton, the group’s founder, spent over 13 years in “meetings, discussing, looking for sites, losing sites, wooing housing associations…