A Different Kind of Retirement: What Cohousing Can Teach Us About Aging Well

Why More Seniors Are Creating Their Own Communities — and How It Differs from Villages, NORCs, and Traditional Senior Living

What if the best alternative to a nursing home or assisted living facility is one you create yourself?

That’s exactly what a growing number of older adults are doing — forming intentional cohousing communities where neighbors are friends, decisions are shared, and mutual support is baked into daily life.

Cohousing is a form of collaborative living that combines private homes with shared spaces and communal decision-making. In senior cohousing, residents are typically age 55 or older, and the community is designed from the ground up to support aging in place — socially, physically, and emotionally.

It’s not a facility. It’s not a program. It’s a lifestyle — one that values independence and interdependence equally.

A Brief History of Cohousing

Cohousing originated in Denmark in the 1960s, when families sought a better way to balance private life with community connection. The idea spread to the U.S. in the 1980s and has slowly grown, particularly in environmentally conscious and aging-friendly regions. Today, more than 170 cohousing communities exist in the U.S., with dozens more in development. There's even The Cohousing Association of the United States where you can find lots of information about this phenomenon and find communities around the U.S.

Each community is unique, but they all share six core principles: participatory design, resident management, intentional relationships, shared spaces, non-hierarchical governance, and private dwellings.

Cohousing in Virginia, Maryland, and DC

We have several cohousing communities right here in the greater DC area.

Blueberry Hill Cohousing — Vienna, Virginia

The first cohousing community in Northern Virginia, Blueberry Hill set the stage for collaborative living in the region. Founded in 2001, this multigenerational community in Vienna, VA, sits on a former farm and includes 19 private homes alongside shared gardens, a community house, and regular group meals. While not senior-exclusive, Blueberry Hill’s supportive atmosphere makes it a natural fit for older adults who want connection and independence (blueberryhill.org).

Takoma Village Cohousing — Washington, DC

Located in Northwest DC near Takoma Park, Takoma Village is an urban cohousing community where neighbors know and support each other in daily life. The community includes private condos and extensive shared facilities — including a large common house and gardens. Residents jointly manage operations, and older adults make up a large portion of the population (takomavillage.org).

Eastern Village Cohousing — Silver Spring, Maryland

Just across the DC line, Eastern Village offers eco-conscious cohousing in a converted office building with LEED certification. Common spaces include lounges, media rooms, and rooftop gardens, all designed for shared living and mutual support. The community is intergenerational but has many older residents who age in place with neighborly help (easternvillage.org).

Cohousing of Greater Baltimore — Hampden, Maryland (Forming)

In Baltimore, a group of seniors is working to create Maryland’s first senior-only cohousing community, with plans for a site in the Hampden neighborhood. The group has hosted design workshops and is building from the ground up — a classic example of intentional aging-centered development in action.

ElderSpirit — Near Richmond, Virginia

Further south, ElderSpirit is a senior-specific cohousing community located just outside Richmond. It features 29 homes arranged around a central common house, with shared meals, spiritual reflection, and social gatherings. ElderSpirit offers a quieter, more rural model of aging in community — a strong example of cohousing as an alternative to traditional senior living.

How Is Cohousing Different from Villages and NORCs?

You may have read our prior blog articles on the Village Model and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). These models also aim to help seniors age in place — but cohousing is fundamentally different in structure and philosophy.

Villages are nonprofit membership organizations layered onto existing neighborhoods. Members pay dues to access services such as transportation, home repair, and social events. You live in your own home and get help organizing support — but you’re not sharing physical space or co-governing.

NORCs arise naturally when many residents in a neighborhood or building age in place. Government or nonprofit programs may offer supportive services, but the setting wasn’t designed with aging in mind.

Cohousing, by contrast, is intentional from the start. The layout, common areas, and governance structures are all designed by future residents who want a more connected, cooperative way of aging.

How Is Cohousing Different from Traditional Senior Living?

Traditional senior living takes the form of over-55 communities, independent living communities, or continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), all of which tend to be operated by large providers. They are often expensive, hierarchical, and based on a service-delivery model — you pay to receive care.

Cohousing flips this dynamic. You’re not a consumer — you’re a co-creator. You share responsibilities, decisions, and daily life with your neighbors. You retain full ownership or rental rights over your private unit while contributing to the shared community.

There’s no staff to schedule your day. Instead, you and your neighbors design it together. 

There are obviously pros and cons to each of these different senior living solutions.

Is Cohousing a Substitute for Long-Term Care?

Cohousing can delay or even prevent the need for institutional long-term care by reducing social isolation, encouraging physical activity, and creating informal support networks. But it’s definitely not a replacement for medical services or long-term care services and supports. That’s why legal and financial long-term care planning is still essential. 

Many residents in cohousing communities create Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (such as our Living Trust Plus®) to preserve their home and savings while keeping future care options open — including the possibility of in-home services or, if necessary, nursing home care.

Should You Explore It?

Cohousing requires flexibility, cooperation, and a commitment to community. But for many, it offers a joyful, meaningful way to grow older — surrounded by people who care and shared values that matter.

If this vision speaks to you, you don’t have to start from scratch. Learn more about existing communities or forming groups in your area by visiting www.cohousing.org — the national resource hub for cohousing in the U.S.

The earlier you start exploring your options, the more choices you’ll have — and the more likely you are to age where and how you want.

Stay proactive. Stay prepared. Stay healthy.

Learn More

The Village People (Don’t Worry – It’s Not the Disco Dudes) 

New Models of Support for Aging in Place

Are NORCs the Future of Successful Aging?