Anne Labit

Self-managed co-housing in the context of an ageing population in Europe

European public policies face the challenge of well ageing. A key element of my research is the role given to older people in the conception of new types of housing and living arrangements. Amongst the various types of intermediate housing models, from nursing homes to in-house support, the self-managed co-housing scheme seems a good solution from an economic point of view: it allows a reduction in the public expenditure necessitated by the demands of an ageing population, not to mention social costs. It improves the quality of elderly people’s lives by focusing on personal autonomy and communal solidarity. This article gives an overview of scientific literature on the subject of ‘co-housing and ageing’ and describes some results of five field studies recently conducted in intergenerational co-housing projects in Germany, Sweden and England.

Housing and ageing in France and Germany: the intergenerational solution

Purpose In France and Germany, intergenerational housing is put forward as an option by public authorities. This kind of housing scheme seems like a good solution for seniors and young people, from both an economic and a social point of view. But beyond this common philosophy, there are differences in the way intergenerational housing is being implemented in the two countries. France mainly favours the student-senior home-sharing model whereas the intergenerational collaborative housing (co-housing) model based on solidarity between seniors and families is gaining ground in Germany. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons for these differences and present results from field surveys conducted in both countries. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative methodology of the field surveys consisted essentially of semi-structured interviews with the young people and seniors living in these types of housing, in order to understand how they experienced intergenerational solidarity. Findings The authors’ surveys revealed that certain conditions are essential for this intergenerational solidarity to be fully effective, notably voluntary participation and commitment to the project, and possibly external support to ensure that it is designed and implemented in the best possible way. Originality/value This paper provides useful recommendations for decision makers who wish to support this type of housing concept based on intergenerational solidarity.