Co-housing and Tiny Homes for the Elderly... Any thoughts?

[Deleted User]Fematheist (deleted user)
edited July 2024 in General

I saw a video about tiny homes for the elderly. I thought that the idea was a viable one---considering both mobility and cost issues.

As our population ages, it's going to become an increasingly important thing to find realistic solutions to our elderly housing and care issues. I think the tiny homes are adorable, efficient, small enough to care for, and they can be built for far less than some of the MacMansions we've built in the past.. Finland has basically eradicated homelessness by investing in creating housing for their own people. I'm wondering if we could do the same?

Share your thoughts? Do you see tiny homes or co-housing as a potential solution to the housing issue that's looming for the elderly population?

Comments

  • Matt462Matt462

    I think they should use all these malls that are closing down, you can have living spaces, groceries, and medical care all without having to go outside.

  • TxTomTxTom

    In many cases, we treat criminals better than our elderly. It's an awful stain on society.

    ➵ TxTom
    👶 All Lives Matter 👵

  • TxTomTxTom

    Perhaps a tiny home, master planned community with walking/biking trails, and golf cart streets. Getting out in the sun is important, and individual homes maintain a sense of independence for those whom value that.

  • SunsetSnugglesSunsetSnuggles

    @Matt462
    That's a brilliant idea!

    There are retirement communities much like what @TxTom describes, but with studio apartments. I think doing it with tiny homes would only be good for empty nesters and those getting up in age who are mobile and have the desire and ability to care for a house, who are not a fall risk, etc.

    It would be more of a transitional housing thing for that time between when your kids and grandkids are no longer largely in the house, but you're not yet in a state of health to need Assisted Living. Whether people in that place in life would be willing to downsize so extremely, is a big question.

    From a practical perspective, I'd imagine it's much cheaper to build and maintain one large complex than a hundred tiny homes with yards. It sounds like it might be expensive, ironically.

    But yes, for those in the right state of mind (minimalism), and the right state of health, I think it would be a lovely option.

    ~ Sunset Snuggles

    🦄 Enthusiast 🏞 Travel Fiend 🐘 Animal Lover

    Happy summer vibes! 🐬 🎹

  • CuddleHugs01234CuddleHugs01234
    edited July 2024

    I agree with @txtom about the sunshine. My thoughts on just a big building for them would be a no go. It’s good for elderly people to be around all generations, not just put them with people just their age. I heard about a study where children and grandparents (or the generation of that age) spent a certain amounting time together and it was very beneficial to both.

    I do like tiny homes in general. A small yard or garden with flowers may be beneficial to them as doing chores, housework, or yard work is good for us.

  • waynewvwaynewv

    I liked watching that TV show that was building tiny homes, I think for a single person they would be great. I could not believe the younger couples with 1-3 kids and 1-4 dogs living in that small of a space.
    I always thought the prices were really high as you can buy an RV way cheaper. I always thought it would be good to do a follow up in 6 months to a year and see if they were still married/ together. I Googled tiny homes for sale, the net was full of them for sale and always stated used very little.
    I have a 28’ RV with 1 slide I’m sure I could live in my later years as long as I have a 6 car garage to go with it . There is a few small home developments here in FL aimed at the retired elderly. I think it needs to be looked at as the cost of housing has gone crazy. Just around my area is several new housing developments being built and all are over 300,000.00 to start and some start at 500,000.00.

  • TxTomTxTom

    the cost of housing has gone crazy.

    Very true. Prices are insane these days.


    A big, sarcastic "thank you" to the self-serving political class, with their out-of-control spending, endless currency printing, "free money" handouts, and stifling regulations.

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles

    Tiny homes are more efficient than the typical houses built in north america, but they're worse than a mixed use four story building.

    Not just for the elderly either. This can be for everyone. North american cities are designed like trash in general. I could go on about how they're dangerous, unwalkable, unusable money pits that can only survive by expanding but other people have much better content than I would write.

  • CuddleHugs01234CuddleHugs01234

    @waynewv My understanding is that per square foot they can cost more. It’s because smaller features sometimes have to be custom fit, the workers may charge for the whole day even though job is smaller (the workers still have to be paid), and lots of other reasons. So for something tiny, it may cost as much as just a small home. If someone was able to build it themselves, of course that would save money.

    I do definitely agree that you would need to get along with the other person well to make it work. Or live alone. Sometimes there are four or five together, with a common yard, so they get some sort of community or social activity with it.

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles
    edited July 2024

    Sounds like a few people in this thread would be interested in the channel Not Juke Bikes.

    Particularly:

    The Truth about American Cities - Strong Towns
    Suburbia is Subsidized: Here's the Math
    The Lively & Liveable Neighbourhoods that are Illegal in Most of North America

    edit-------
    Oh this video too about third places(places for community interaction)

    The Great Places Erased by Suburbia (the Third Place)

  • TxTomTxTom

    @JasonCuddles

    North american cities are designed like trash in general... they're dangerous, unwalkable, unusable money pits...

    Wrong. They're not "designed like trash."

    There's quite a difference between cities in Europe and cities in the United States. Most European cities are several centuries old, and we're built up around a castle or other citadel of power. The locals, for the most part, did not travel far or very often.

    In contrast, the cities in the United States are not as old and were built during the advent of mass transportation. Local governments were decentralized and cities expanded following an industry's need and ability to acquire real estate. They're "unwalkable" only in the sense that they are not as centralized as European cities.

    U.S. cities are only "dangerous" because of bad policy the citizens keep voting for. This could literally be changed overnight.

    I don't know what you mean by "unusable money pits."

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles

    @TxTom check out Suburbia is Subsidized: Here's the Math from the channel Not Just Bikes for a little intro into what I am talking about.

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    Being essentially already out to pasture-----are you saying old people should live in a 'box." Weill I still be able to stream my favorite shows (coking for people with no teeth, porridge recipes)?Actually this is a good topic--but why single out old people---tiny houses could work for anyone facing a tight budget and make good use of land
    )

  • ManOutdoorsManOutdoors

    I didn't know there was a housing issue looming for the elderly population. Most of the elderly people I know have lots of money from years of working and investing. I see younger people struggling more than elderly.

    I think tiny houses are great and way more people should live in them, young and old. Most houses have a backyard that could accommodate a tiny house. Then you can rent out the tiny house, or move in to the tiny house and rent out the main house. Most people are in favor of this and many people need this as a way to stay out of debt and build for retirement. The zoning laws need to change in most areas to reflect this need/desire. Another alternative is transforming a garage into a small one bedroom apartment. A lot of people don't need a garage and would rather rent the space out in order to help pay the mortgage.

  • [Deleted User]Fematheist (deleted user)

    I LOVE the "Brain Bank" here!! Thanks folks! This expanded beautifully! :)
    @Matt462~ That's an AWESOME idea! And, like you said, a lot of the required amenities could be right there, without having to leave the building! Excellent input...

    @TxTom~ It IS crazy that so many resources are dedicated to prisons, when our elderly DIDN'T commit crimes! I was thinking, like you mentioned, about some type of master-planned community, too, but I wonder if I'M projecting my own needs for independence onto a population with which I have very little contact. Maybe there could be progressive units that sort of cover each stage of possible health and decline?

    Hi @SunsetSnuggles~ @Matt462 stepped in with it, didn't he??? Studio apartments would definitely work in such a spot. Maintenance and upkeep really can be problems for the elderly, so that could be worked in, too.
    Whew.. SERIOUS point about the downsizing that would many times be necessary!! And, when you put it together with the idea of "a hundred tiny homes WITH YARDS," the earlier glimmer I had with the idea starts to fade a bit! lol

    @CuddleHugs01234~@txtom definitely had a point, regarding the importance of sunshine... Right on for seconding that motion..
    The results of the study you mention only makes sense. That's what happened, naturally, with families in the past. Such a mix allows elders to still contribute to the running of the family, and the children get the benefit of their grandparents' wisdom and love.

    It's always fascinating when we brainstorm ideas--- SO MUCH comes in! :)

    Hi @waynewv ~ I like to watch the videos people put up about building them... That's probably where the idea behind this thread came from! lol
    NEXT THREAD IDEA TO BE POSTED: RV/VAN LIVING!!! Thanks!! hahaha
    Great points about the number of people living in so small a space, AND about the cost! It's reallllly telling that there are soooo many tiny homes being offered for sale on the 'net, especially when you read "rarely used".. Some serious buyer's remorse, sounds like. I've had a few times where I ended up sadly thinking, "It sounded like a good idea at the time..."
    There are pros and cons to everything, I know. I was unaware that they were sooo expensive, though..

    @JasonCuddles~ "Mixed use"--- maybe that's what @Matt was thinking of, too. Great point about the energy efficiency of the newer, smaller units in comparison to the larger, draftier houses built historically. I LOVE my huge, drafty-ass home, but we never know what's coming down the pike, energy wise, and efficiency will probably become increasingly important..
    The idea of a walkable, safe area to live in... Yes! There's a village, near here, that has a very walkable downtown area. Book stores, coffee shops, import houses, concert halls... The idea of having access to all of that, while feeling safe in an area... Too bad we didn't stay with what worked.. Your video suggestions sound like good info, too. Might have to go check them out-- Especially the one about "third places."

    @CuddleHugs01234~ Thanks for the insight and expanding on the topic of cost per square foot. Something so small.. crazy, but what you said made sense.
    Having a small green space being shared by a few houses sounds cool. Social interaction, like sunshine, seems increasingly necessary as we age..

    @TxTom~ Hadn't thought of that: that European cities were built up around castles, and reach back to a time before the transportation boom, while American cities developed much later and with an entirely different basis. I feel smarter, already! :)
    As more people fall from the "middle class," it's not going to matter why our housing is spread out, only THAT it is, and I'm hoping we start getting together to have respectful conversations about solutions that can be organically implemented AT THIS TIME.
    Thanks for the history lesson! :)

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles

    @Fematheist > Hadn't thought of that: that European cities were built up around castles, and reach back to a time before the transportation boom, while American cities developed much later and with an entirely different basis. I feel smarter, already!

    It's not quite true....there have been huge numbers of areas built in europe after the invention of the automobile, and many cities in north america were founded hundreds of years before the automobile. There is still a big difference between a typical city development in netherlands and canada. We don't know what we are doing in north america by almost every metric.

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    I have to agree with @JasonCuddles about most U.S. cities being “unwalkable” (and dangerous for cyclists).

    One of the key issues is the layout of streets vs roads, two words that MANY people use interchangeably but they are actually very different. The problem is many cities have designed “stroads” which are a hybrid between streets and roads which are ugly and dangerous. This video does an excellent job of explaining the differences between U.S. and European streets and roads.

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    One other comment, nearly 20% of “motor vehicle fatalities” in the United States are people who are NOT inside of a motor vehicle (pedestrians and cyclist).

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles

    The US has really high fatality rates on roads. Even compared to Canada. The US is like 12.9/100K people per year and Canada is like 5.3. Canada is still too high though. I know someone who lost a friend to a car driving into them at the age of like 17.

    The person driving shouldn't really have been driving, but since we essentially force people to do so with our city design choices we end up with dangerous situations. Thankfully things are starting to change here slowly so maybe a lot of these forced accidents can be solved.

  • [Deleted User]Fematheist (deleted user)

    Oh ARRRRGH, you two!!! After I got my ass chewed for derailing a thread!!! lololol

    BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOPIC, shall we?

    @JasonCuddles ~ I stand corrected by your further sharing, BUUUUUUTTTTTT... can we get back to the Tiny Homes and co-housing thing, now?

    @JohnR1972 ~ The concepts that the three of you are sharing, while interesting, aren't really on-topic. Care to share your thoughts about co-housing and/or tiny homes?

    @dennis22554 ~ The way I LAFFED OUT LOUD at your post!!! No, Dear, I didn't mean to say that we pasturians should live in boxes!!! hahahahaha!! And we'd have to make sure that you could still stream your very necessary cooking shows!!! lolol You're right, though, that tiny homes needn't only be considered for the elderly. I saw a documentary on some that were built to house homeless veterans. It was a planned community, complete with what @JasonCuddles referred to as a "Third Place," like a community center where they could gather and fellowship.. There was also a video on college students living in tiny homes instead of dorms. So, thanks for that angle--- the concept goes much further than just the elderly..

    @ManOutdoors ~ Zoning laws, garage, lady with the air bnb... There was so much in your post that I had to make cliff notes! lol
    Yes, the zoning laws would definitely have to be changed in order to do that, but if the people were willing, why not change them, you know? Same with the garage conversions-- that would be a great way to make the "highest and best use" of that space, if the owners were willing. Who doesn't need help with their mortgages, these days??

    There was a lady who did just as you mentioned, but hers was an Air bnb in the far corner of her own back yard. She ended up moving into that, and renting out the front house. She seemed to prefer the smaller quarters, and so would-- I can imagine-- some older folks. Good point! Thanks for sharing!

    Note to self: Go start a new thread on RV/Van living, and another on "Stroad Wars" and the loss of walkability in American cities!!! lol Or one of y'all can, either way... :)

  • JohnR1972JohnR1972

    @Fematheist - I would argue my comments are related to the main topic. Where are all those tiny homes for elderly people going to be? If we are talking about suburban neighborhoods, it would be good for them to be planned where people can walk or ride their bikes to nearby stores, restaurants, etc. rather than having to drive everywhere. Living in such a neighborhood would not only promote better health by staying physically active but it would also be more cost effective if you didn’t have to own a car (tiny homes don’t have garages).

    Regarding tiny homes themselves, most of the ones I have looked at are built on trailers which makes them more like a mobile home than a traditional house. I have no problem with them but I wonder about the quality / durability of the low cost ones. How long are they designed to last?

    I have seriously considered doing a massive downsizing when my daughter moves out and having a small cabin built completely off the grid. I have already purchased solar generators and solar panels sufficient to power a small cabin (lights, refrigerator, and a few other necessities) without having to connect to the grid. I have also been looking into the pros and cons of methane digesters and rain water collection systems.

    It is all doable, I would just need to move further south (southern KY or Northern TN) to be in a better climate for living off grid.

  • JasonCuddlesJasonCuddles
    edited July 2024

    These things are all related, probably why they're coming up. I am not 100% sure what you mean by co-housing? Like roommates? Or do you mean something like a bunch of tiny homes with a communal cooking area?

    I have personal experience with smaller living spaces that have shared facilities like a kitchen area. It's a great place to just chat with people while you're cooking. If it's done with a bit higher density than tiny homes you can have what you need around you too.

    If you are specifically talking about people who are like 80 years old then having streets instead of stroads is even more important since it needs to be pedestrian friendly(though honestly it's good for everyone, just kids and elderly even more so)

    So yeah...the tiny home benefits are there but there are just better solutions like mixed use middle sized buildings.

    Have this, a shared kitchen in the middle+space to live, a little grocery shop or whatever is needed and that's the ideal solution probably.

    But they're illegal to build in north america mostly so tell your government official how fed up you are with their terrible laws.

    edit---------
    I would just like to point out that the picture I posted has an awful stroad, so don't build that part. Replace that with a street and things would be pretty much ideal. Something like:

  • [Deleted User]Fematheist (deleted user)
    edited July 2024

    Has anyone noticed how willingly we've adopted the newly-minted word "stroads"? lolol

    Okay @JohnR1972 ~ I GRUDGINGLY, KINDA SORTA see how that might have SOME SMALL connection to the topic... Is my PETTY coat showing? lol Will you consider starting a thread to discuss your downsizing plans, and off-grid living??? I promise I won't come and try to derail it... I'm just really interested in that idea, too!

    @JasonCuddles ~ Now THAT looks amazing!!! @Matt462 mentioned turning the empty malls into possible co-housing units. The photo you've shared, here, reminds me of that.. Especially with all of those tall windows, to let the sunshine in! And NO YARD WORK!!! <<That would sell me on it, right there! lol
    "I have personal experience with smaller living spaces that have shared facilities like a kitchen area. It's a great place to just chat with people while you're cooking."<<<THIS sounds delightful!!!

    Would you consider starting a thread where you invited others who have experience in living in such spaces to share their experiences, lessons, tips???

Sign In or Register to comment.