Innovations in Senior Housing: The Complete Guide to Cohousing

An unprecedented demographic shift looms on Canada’s horizon: an aging population means seniors will soon make up a large proportion of the nation’s population – a change that will require many services and institutions to adapt and respond. Rather than seeing this shift as a burden to nervously anticipate, Canada’s aging population can be viewed as an opportunity, and one that drives innovation. A new senior housing movement has recently been brought to Canada: Senior Cohousing, which offers promise to address some of the needs, housing and beyond, for an aging population. More than simply a new design of housing, Senior Cohousing represents a conceptual shift in our cultural approach to aging and living in community. Cohousing is an intentional community design that emerged out of Denmark in the 1960s, which combines the independence and autonomy of private dwellings with the advantages of common amenities and a village-style support system. The community is planned, managed, and often owned by the residents through participatory and democratic decision-making processes. Cohousing is a housing innovation with plentiful benefits, including social, environmental, and economic benefits. Cohousing has been adapted into “Senior Cohousing” to meet the unique needs of residents in their later years, which may involve an emphasis on universal design, accessibility, and safety, co-caring and mutual support, or whatever else may emerge to meet the needs of residents.