In recent decades the change in social relations and exchanges of thoughts and moods, frequently entrusted to social networks and virtual messages, has brought a sense of profound loneliness and lack of communication of emotions and feelings, replacing the " sense of listening ”with the expression of judgments that are ends in themselves, deprived of respect for others.
Hence the need to identify a way in which to activate common projects to collaborate together, with the possibility of not being alone anymore, but of being able to "grow old among friends".
Through co-housing , a housing model that shuns the classical structure between tenants, the people who choose to be part of it are all at the same level, they have completely different origins and personal stories and they unite with each other without ideological principles behind them . L ' aging is accepted and is made active through the creation of a social network, in order to recover the values of solidarity and mutual cooperation, to make effective among people who live a few meters away from each other, avoiding the' use of facilities specifically reserved for the third age .
The housing formula of co-housing, introduced about 50 years ago in northern Europe, in the Netherlands and Denmark , involved the use of a private home managed by the single family unit and the sharing of a series of activities - such as works at home, the education of children - to facilitate the needs of young families. Then this particular residential organization, introduced in Germany , Sweden and later also in Canada and the United States, has undergone a particular evolution with the aging of the promoters themselves, who realized that, with the passing of time, it could be re-proposed in a "senior" version, with the creation of small communities of about 20-40 accommodations for people elderly people sharing similar personal situations, in which each family has its own individual accommodation and spaces - laundry, gym, kitchens, recreation rooms - to share with neighbors.
The co-housing conceived in this way is based on simple and good neighborly relations that enhance the concept of non-assistance . In addition, not a small thing, the sharing of spaces and services in a collective manner and the social sustainability of collaborative living ensure significant savings from an economic and environmental point of view.
Also in Italy similar living models have been created: in particular the Municipality of Trento has identified solutions conceived not only for the needs of those who are aging, but destined to create communities of neighbors of all ages, who live in sharing, harmony and above all friendship . The centrality of community building, which is followed by the co-planning of the "condi-live" and the importance of the role of expert facilitators in supporting groups, both in the creation and maintenance of the community in the long term, are aspects fundamental to learn social competences, including the management of possible conflicts, for the "well-living-together".
The article Co-housing, the new way of living favors environment and friendships. And lightens the wallet comes from Il Fatto Quotidiano
