Senior co-housing frees family homes as demand outpaces supply

Senior co-housing can give older residents a stronger sense of community while freeing larger homes for families, but demand far exceeds supply, DR reports.

At Jernalderen, a senior co-housing community in Holbæk, residents play billiards in the foyer on Friday mornings. Later in the day, the table becomes a bar for the community’s Friday gathering.

Annette Sylvester Kert, 61, lives in one of the community’s 71 apartments and plans to join the gathering. “It’s very cosy, sometimes even festive,” she said.

Jernalderen opened to residents in January 2023. At an information meeting before it opened, older people queued down the street to learn about the housing community, reflecting wider interest in the model.

Realdania, a philanthropic association, has focused on senior co-housing for the past decade. During that time, supply has nearly tripled, said Stig Hessellund, a project manager at the organisation, but it still falls far short of demand.

Realdania’s latest figures, from 2025, count about 12,000 homes in 442 senior co-housing communities across Denmark. Hessellund estimates that 80,000 people would like to live in one.

More homes for families

In Holbæk Municipality, the share of economically active residents, who contribute most to municipal revenue, has grown by four per cent over the past six years. The municipality therefore needs more homes with room for families with children.

Moving older residents from larger homes, such as brick-built villas and detached houses, into more compact housing could make those homes available to families, Hessellund said. Holbæk Mayor Christina Krzyrosiak Hansen (Social Democrats) also sees value in that turnover, while stressing the importance of offering housing suited to older people.

“When older people move out of their houses, they become available to a new family with children, and that is really good,” she said. She added that attracting families is important to support the municipality’s economic development.

Everyday support and social activities

Kert said she chose senior co-housing for the community and with the future in mind. With a shortage of workers in elder care and the population over 65 growing, she has also considered whether living among neighbours could make it easier to get help later on.

“Today, at 61, I can contribute a lot, but over time I may need the community in some form of support. That is by far the main reason for living here: we are here for one another,” she said.

She believes the arrangement could also make home care more efficient if she needs it one day, with staff able to visit residents door to door rather than travel between different parts of town.

Jernalderen has a woodworking workshop, beer brewing, a sauna club and a gym. Hessellund said Realdania’s interest in the model is based on the idea that sharing everyday life can reduce loneliness and improve quality of life.

What is senior co-housing?

Senior co-housing is intended for older people, typically those over 50 who do not have children living at home. Communities aim to encourage social and practical interaction and range in size from a few households to several hundred homes. A typical community has 20 to 30 homes. They can be social housing, co-operative housing or owner-occupied homes.

Sources: Realdania and Ældre Sagen.