A new co-housing development for the over 50s is “about positive ageing”, one of the founders has said. 

With ever increasing pressure on housing and a desire among many elderly people to downsize, Co-housing Communities Ireland is considering a number of sites in Dublin 6 for a development. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, spokesperson Ana Dolan explained that co-housing for the elderly means “living together as a community”. 

“Everyone would own their own apartment but there would be certain kinds of shared facilities - that you as a community would decide on,” she said. 

“Usually, you’d have some kind of club house or shared facility where you’d eat together perhaps maybe once a fortnight, once a month - whatever the community decides. 

“Then you have rooms for visitors that the community would rent out if the family were coming to visit.” 

An elderly woman smiling after she is given a cup of tear. Picture by: Alamy.com.

Ms Dolan said she believes there is a “gap in the market” for this type of development as many people wish to downsize but have limited options. 

She added that it would also help young people as it would “release family homes that were no longer suitable for your needs back into the housing market”. 

“What we’re launching today is we’re looking for people who want to join us as a community,” she said. 

“The statistics are really stark out there that 67% of Irish houses are under occupied.

“A lot of people want to stay in their family homes but there’s a cohort that really do not want to stay anymore. 

“Both my parents lived to be 94 and I’ve seen what happens; they’re worrying about the grass, they’re worrying about cutting the hedges, the garden, the roof of the house. 

“So much of their energy goes into that.” 

Three retired women sit on a bench. Picture by: Cum Okolo / Alamy Stock Photo

Ms Dolan said she believes this trend is about “positive ageing” but admitted it will not come cheap. 

“It would be more expensive than, say, something that’s built by a developer for profit,” she said. 

“Because there’s going to be an ‘add-on’ for it, for all of those facilities.”

Main image: A group of older people on a bench. Picture by: Alamy.com