Communes for Seniors? Who knew this was a “thing”?
Communes for seniors, known as senior cohousing, combine private homes with shared community spaces and activities, offering mutual support and social connection to combat loneliness and provide a strong sense of community. These communities are self-managed by their members, offering both individual privacy and collaborative living, with shared meals, common rooms, and communal care. You can find senior cohousing communities by visiting the Cohousing Association of the United States’ directory.
How Senior Cohousing Works
- Private and Shared Spaces: Each member has their own private home or unit, but also shares a common house with amenities like a large kitchen, dining room, den, and laundry facilities.
- Self-Management: Unlike traditional retirement communities run by management companies, cohousing communities are self-managed. Members form committees to handle decisions, plan meals, organize activities, and manage the community’s infrastructure.
- Mutual Support: Residents look out for each other, providing safety, support, and companionship. Daily check-ins can be scheduled, and neighbors are more likely to notice if someone needs help.
- Social Connection: Shared meals and gatherings in the common house create a vibrant social environment that can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Benefits of Senior Cohousing
- Combating Loneliness: The deep social connections formed in a cohousing community are crucial for older adults, as loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking or obesity.
- Increased Safety: Knowing your neighbors and having a community that keeps an eye on each other can lead to faster help in case of an emergency.
- Cost Savings: By self-managing, members avoid the fees associated with for-profit management companies, which can save money.
- Purposeful Living: Many members discover that community living enables them to lead a richer, more purposeful life by staying active and engaged with others.
Resources:
Senior Cohousing: Senior cohousing provides a sense of community for active older adults.
Future of Aging: Senior Cohousing as Antidote to the Loneliness Epidemic
Future of Aging: Senior Cohousing as Antidote to the Loneliness Epidemic
One Way to Retire With Friends
The New York Times by Lisa Miller, 8 August 2025. (Requires subscription)
I recently visited The Bird’s Nest, a community in East Texas, to learn about the community these women have made and the solutions it offers for the problems of loneliness and affordability so many of us wish we could creatively avoid. Here’s what I found:
- An uncluttered life: According to the AARP, 64 percent of single, working American women ages 50 to 64 have less than $50,000 in retirement savings. The women of The Bird’s Nest told me they were drawn there in part by that affordability. They were at the end of their working lives and didn’t want to live with family. The tiny-house lifestyle also appealed: A 300-square-foot home has a small footprint, it’s easy to clean and it can be customized.
- Fast Friends: “There’s no sense in arguing over what you can’t change,” one member told me. The first rule of the community — unofficially, because Yerian, the founder, doesn’t like rules — is “no drama.”
Last updated 09/29/2025.