In the 1990s, Jill attended an American Association on Aging conference. A presenter discussed how Japan was handling their aging population. They built multigenerational housing. Families with young children lived on the lower floors and seniors lived on the top floors. The children and seniors would spend time together, each learning from the other. It also provided a form of child care.
In the New York Times, January 21, 2018, business section, an article was dedicated to communities that include multiple generations of families. While similar to the Japanese, it has an American twist. Village-like settings are being built as a community for young, middle and older members.
The way it works:
- People own their own home so they can be sold
- Residents pay a type of HOA to maintain community facilities
There are already 165 facilities in rural, suburban and urban settings with an additional 140 communities slated for development.
If this type of living is of interest to you, please check out the Cohousing Association of the United States. http://www.cohousing.org/