Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Achieving age diversity

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

I find it interesting that most of the messages in this thread seem to
assume the advantages of achieving age diversity.  I agree; two related
stories come to mind both from our 1999 tour of cohousing to Denmark (and
Sweden (me).

The first relates to the sustainablility of the age distribution /
diversity.  I think it was at Saetendammen, the first or at least one of
the first cohousing communities ever which was 27 years old in 1999.  It
had had a remarkably stable population over that time.  Almost the same
people the full time. They had had a rather narrow age distribution when
it was built (something like all adults were 25-35 as I recall) This
implied that all their children were now grown and no longer living in the
community.  No families with young children had moved in because no-one
had moved out. It also might mean that when those people got to be too
infirm to live in the community or died, the community might go thru a
rapid turnover if they all had to "move on" within a relatively short
period of time. In the US that might happen at very different ages - say
typically 70-90 so it might not be too precipitous.  If my numbers are
correct and there has continued to be a stable population, those folks are
59-69 - creeping up on the period of change.  I do not have ongoing
contact with anyone there so I do not know what has happened or what
planning they have done.  Anyone else have an update?

An interesting community that I visited was in central Stockholm, Sweden
called Fardknappen and is like a big apartment building with the first
floor in common.  It was developed by people who wanted it to be for
people "in the second half of life" so it only allows people over 40 who
do not have dependants.  They get criticized for this (by those who prefer
more age diversity) but I think people should be able to do what they
want.  They DO have kids -- visiting grand children who usually go home at
night. They DO have an age diversity of people over 40 - 40-90 as I
recall. And those folks broke down into 3 categories generally.  Those
that were still working so they had more money tho often less time.
Those that were retired and in good health so they had more time (and may
have been the more active community builders) tho maybe less money. Then
there were those whose health had declined who benefited from the
community support of the others and may have contributed more in earlier
years or had to be more selective in their current contributions - less
physical.  I suspect they had enough age diversity to avoid to major
change that Saetendammen might face.  As people "age out" of the community
other younger folks (usually in their 40's for Fardknappen).

Does anyone involved in Elder Cohousing care to comment on whether their
has been any evolution in the age diversity preferences within Elder
Cohousing in the US lately?  There has been more of a preference for elder
only cohousing that I would prefer.  Seems to me that if communities last
long enough (and there's no reason not to expect this) they'll all have
older folks.  The idea of "Elder Rich age diverse cohousing" appeals to
me.

Anyone recall the cohousing-L thread a while back on the tendency for
childrens needs in cohousing to trump elder's needs?  So far I have not
thought of the right term to search for in the archives.

Fred,  who at age 59 has one dependent currently applying to college

-- 
Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411  USA        (near north Mpls)
Communications for Justice - My new listserv org.       UU, Linux
My Link Page: http://fholson.cohousing.org       Ham radio:WB0YQM
fholson at cohousing.org   612-588-9532   (7am-10pm Central time)