Collective housing arrangements with common facilities for older residents
This is a scoping review on housing models with common facilities for older people in the Nordic countries, based on Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework. Research and development work is compiled based on the following questions: What types of housing with common facilities exist for older people living at home, and what characterizes them? What are the residents’ and other stakeholders’ experiences of these housing models? The summary includes 19 Nordic publications from 2005–2024.
The included publications show that the housing models range from self-managed
common facilities to institution-like solutions and are organized through various financing
models – public, private, resident-initiated, or combined. Shared spaces, safety measures,
and social facilitation are recurring elements.
Residents’ experiences are structured into five main themes:
1. Transition, sense of home, and security: Moving is motivated by practical considerations and a wish for community but can also be experienced as threatening to one’s identity.
2. Physical design and location: Accessibility, proximity to services, and a balance between privacy and community promote well-being.
3. Social life and community: Resident influence and organization affect well-being and participation.
4. Relationships, support, and “collective ageing”: Security is strengthened through mutual help, but the boundary between formal and informal support must be clear. Age homogeneity can create a sense of security but also challenges related to identity and visible ageing.
5. Organization and adaptation: Resident experience is shaped by the organization of the housing model, personal preferences, and adaptation over time. The housing model works best when structure, norms, and physical frameworks correspond with the residents’ needs.
Other stakeholders – developers, architects, and municipalities – highlight economic
barriers, regulatory limitations, and lack of coordination as central challenges. They
emphasize that there is greater potential for innovation through user involvement, new
financing models, and better cooperation between public and private actors.
The scoping review shows that housing models with common facility solutions for
older people are diverse and reflect different needs for independence, security, and social
participation. There is no universal model that fits all, but accessibility, community, and
flexibility are key success factors. To meet future needs, municipalities and developers
must cooperate on a broad range of housing solutions.