Words by Smiley Team
A group of women over 50 have created their own community in a new, purpose-built block of flats in North London.
Now, as an alternative to living alone, they have friendly, helpful neighbours, and autonomy over their own lives – and the way they live.
The Older Women’s Co-Housing (OWCH) complex in High Barnet, London is the only co-housing community for older women in the country. It opened in 2016, and features 25 flats, shared gardens and communal facilities.
It’s anything but a gated retirement community. Rent is paid to a housing association, as opposed to the council, but the residents are involved in every decision. They clean, garden, and cook together, and generally look out for one another.
“We're carving out a path for other 50+ year-olds to follow," they say. "We hope they have an easier journey than ours, now we have shown the way. The senior co-housing community could enrich the lives of many, and reduce pressures on health and care services, if local authorities, planners, policy makers and housing developers helped to remove the many obstacles society puts in its way.”
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The women wanted to be in charge of their lives, and make things better, to live longer and more creatively, and still have energy to give back to the community.
The complex is entirely self managed by the women who set it up – but it took nearly 20 years to make their vision a reality.
Co-housing is when people have their own individual homes, which they can rent or own individually, and they also have access to some shared resources, places to meet, have a meal and do things together.
In the UK, 3.64 million over 65 live alone, and nearly 70% of these are women. Loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by up to a quarter, and can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day - but New Ground is somewhere women can feel safe and connected.
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“We’re already spending billions on health and social care," they say. "If you can reduce demand by housing older people in communal, supportive situations, you can make huge savings.
“It’s been hard for us but we hope it will be much faster for people in the future, and that there’ll be more help from the government.
“There needs to be incentivisation for older people to move somewhere that meets their needs. Not just their housing needs but their needs for social connectedness. Being able to effect things and decide things and not have everything done to you and for you, is, I think, what the new old are demanding.”
Find out how OCWH is stopping loneliness and building community on its website.
