Written by Santiago Berisso
Medically reviewed by Paula Alvarez (Psychologist, Dance-Movement Therapist, Emotional Intelligence Specialist & Applied Neuroscience in the Educational Field Specialist)
What if the key to a healthier, more fulfilling life wasn’t more privacy—but more community?
For many people, life after retirement raises a big question: Now what? We often associate aging with isolation, imagining a future where we’re less surrounded by the relationships we’ve built over the years—or, at the very least, lonelier than we’d like to be. But what if we reimagined how we live, not just where?
That’s where cohousing comes in. For decades, it has offered a thoughtful and practical answer to one of modern life’s most pressing issues: how to age—and live—well, together.
Designing for Connection
Cohousing is built on a simple but powerful idea: the way we live—our homes, neighborhoods, and daily routines—deeply affects our quality of life. And when we design those spaces to foster connection and shared purpose, we thrive both individually and as a community.
Cohousing brings people together to co-create spaces where daily life is more intentional and less isolating. Residents often share common areas, grow food together, prepare group meals, and offer informal support—without sacrificing personal space or privacy.
The first modern cohousing community was born in Denmark in the 1960s, when about 30 families came together to build a neighborhood designed around collaboration. They proved that community living could make everyday life smoother and more meaningful for people of all ages. A key part of their success? Designing the physical environment to support the social one.
Today, cohousing is the fastest-growing type of intentional community in the U.S. and Canada, and is well established in countries like Sweden, Germany, and the Netherlands. According to architect and cohousing advocate Charles Durrett, there are now roughly 200 cohousing projects in the United States and around 30 in Canada.
How Cohousing Works
Cohousing typically follows six core principles, all centered on connection, cooperation, and well-being:
- People-first neighborhood design
- Participatory development process (often with residents involved from the ground up, though some communities adapt existing buildings)
- Resident-led management and decision-making
- Shared common areas and resources
- Flat structures with no formal hierarchy
- Mutual support without shared finances
In many cases, residents help design and even build their homes, strengthening trust and shared goals from the very beginning. While every individual or family maintains a private home, cohousing increases opportunities for shared experiences and meaningful relationships.
In a world that often pushes for independence at the cost of connection, cohousing offers a different path—one where belonging, not just autonomy, is at the center.
Why Loneliness Affects All Ages
We’re facing what experts now call a global loneliness epidemic—and it spans every generation.
While loneliness is often seen as a problem for older adults, it affects younger people, too. According to a U.S. survey, 29% of people aged 30–44 say they frequently feel lonely. For those aged 18–29, that number is 24%.
The challenge? Loneliness is quiet. It doesn’t draw attention to itself. In a culture of overstimulation and hyperconnectivity, many of us are withdrawing more than we realize—making it harder to connect with others who are struggling in the same way.
Cohousing pushes against this trend. It revives the essential skills—and joys—of living in a community. It reminds us that we weren’t meant to navigate life alone.
Moreover, numerous studies show that strong social support plays a vital role in both physical and mental health, improving our overall sense of well-being. For older adults in particular, being part of a close-knit social network helps reduce stress, prevents physical decline, and supports better cognitive and emotional health over time.
Community Care vs. Individual Burden
Beyond fostering connection, cohousing also offers a practical approach to one of society’s most complex challenges: caregiving.
As people live longer, the need for elder care is growing rapidly. But caregiving is still mostly invisible work—time-consuming, emotionally demanding, and largely carried out by women.
Beyond individual households, caregiving is shaped by a complex web of factors: gender inequalities that place the burden disproportionately on women, socioeconomic conditions that limit access to quality care, and national policies that vary widely in how they support aging populations. As the global population over 60 continues to grow, these challenges will only become more urgent—and demand coordinated attention from families, communities, and governments alike.
It’s a burden many families struggle to manage alone. Cohousing suggests a simpler, more human solution: care doesn’t have to be outsourced or institutional. Sometimes, it just needs to be next door.
In an international study comparing traditional housing and cohousing, only 13% of cohousing residents needed to leave their homes to access care—compared to 22% of those in conventional housing. Among adults over 50, the gap was even larger: 16% vs. 33%.
That’s the power of proximity. Informal, day-to-day support from neighbors can prevent or delay the need for outside help—while offering something money can’t buy: a sense of being seen and supported.
A Lifestyle of Choice, Not Compromise
While cohousing is especially popular among older adults, it’s not just about aging. Many communities are intergenerational, bringing together families, singles, and retirees who all share a desire for a more connected life.
Cohousing isn’t a retreat from the world—it’s a thoughtful step toward living with intention. It’s about choosing community, not out of necessity, but out of a belief that we’re better together.
When we feel part of something bigger than ourselves, we thrive. We live better. And we age better, too.
What Kind of Life Do You Want to Build?
How—and with whom—do you want to live? It’s a question worth asking at any stage of life.
Cohousing reminds us that connection doesn’t have to be accidental or rare. It can be designed. It can be chosen. And it can be the foundation for a healthier, more vibrant future—for everyone.
