Co-Housing
Research &
Evidence.
What the international scientific studies show about Senior Cohousing — with transparency and respect for the data.
Co-Housing
What the international scientific studies show about Senior Cohousing — with transparency and respect for the data.
What the studies show
Research in recent years shows that Senior Cohousing can offer significant benefits to the quality of life of older people. Pairing private space with shared areas appears to strengthen social support, the sense of belonging and safety, while it may reduce feelings of loneliness.
Most importantly: Co-Housing does not mean people give up their privacy and independence. On the contrary, it rests on the balance between personal space and community.
A note on transparency: the scientific studies are encouraging, but they do not yet allow us to prove that Co-Housing on its own causes better health. We present the findings exactly as they are.
The scientific sources
Carrère, J., Reyes, A., Oliveras, L., et al. (2020). The effects of cohousing model on people’s health and wellbeing: a scoping review. Public Health Reviews, 41, 22.
The key source on health, wellbeing, social support and loneliness — positive associations, but without proof of cause and effect.
Full study — Springer →Rusinovic, K., van Bochove, M., & van de Sande, J. (2019). Senior Co-Housing in the Netherlands: Benefits and Drawbacks for Its Residents. IJERPH, 16(19), 3776.
Specifically on senior co-housing — examining both the benefits and the drawbacks.
Full study — MDPI →Wang, J. & Hadjri, K. (2017). The role of co-housing in building sustainable communities: Case studies from the UK. E-BPJ, 2(6), 255–265.
UK case studies — social and environmental sustainability.
Full study — White Rose →Bianchi, L. & Costa, G. (2024). Living together as a solidarity and generative practice.
Co-housing as a collective form of living that strengthens solidarity and the creation of communities.
Study — Taylor & Francis →Marckmann, B., Gram-Hanssen, R. & Christensen, T. H. (2012). Sustainable Living and Co-Housing. Built Environment, 38(3).
The relationship between shared infrastructure, social life and sustainable living.
Study — Ingenta →