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Original poster

OWCH (Older womens communal housing)

78 replies

womaninatightspot · 27/06/2021 07:49

Only in my 40's and DC are primary school age so this is a future plan but I quite like the idea of having a small place within a female based cooperative. Neighbours helping each others out etc.

I can't imagine moving to London (the cost!) but do you think these schemes will become more popular as time goes on. Is there anything like this in your area?

OP posts:
Original poster
womaninatightspot · 27/06/2021 12:54

@StillCalmX

Also i think men 5 years older than i am are still out there trying to date women ten yrs younger than i am so if my experience is typical there's a mismatch in what men and women are hoping to achieve. I want peace and quiet and to find a good tribe. I feel like men are not as accepting of the stage of life.
Exactly, I don't dislike men I just think generally they are after different things at that stage.
OP posts:
MaMelon · 27/06/2021 12:56

I’ve never heard of these but they sound brilliant. Definitely going to keep this on my radar if DH goes first.

fantastaballs · 27/06/2021 12:59

I've often thought about this op, but never knew there was a scheme for it. Me OH is substantially older than me so my retirement plan was to stay in my town house and rent out two or three bedrooms rooms to like minded women. I'm disabled so already have a wet room and a stair lift etc. I think it would be a really nice living situation and would supplement my income as I don't really have a pension.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Benefits General education
joolzfromyork · 27/06/2021 13:10

So ...

A 'Bruderhof' type community but without the religion ... ?

I'm in ...

Original poster
womaninatightspot · 27/06/2021 13:33

Schwesterhof maybe we could be sponsored by mumsnet; all disputes will be settled by AIBU.

OP posts:
MaMelon · 27/06/2021 13:36

Crikey - if I was going to share communal housing it wouldn’t be with MNetters, it would be carnage Grin

Original poster
womaninatightspot · 27/06/2021 13:45

It'd be hilarious all parking infractions would be dealt with by the offender being blocked in and only released when theyd posted diagrams of where they parked and where they should of parked.

OP posts:
MaMelon · 27/06/2021 13:46

GrinGrin

HeronLanyon · 27/06/2021 13:47

Imagining the ‘village green’ or ‘courtyard’ would surely have large projector for the display of said diagrams to the interested and vocal audience ??

Original poster
womaninatightspot · 27/06/2021 13:53

Exactly we'd bring popcorn and gin. Possibly smelling salts for those shocked by our excesses.

OP posts:
SirVixofVixHall · 27/06/2021 14:57

I used to have a friend who lived in a beautiful flat in Hampstead, it was a women only estate set up as a charity for single women. Holly Lodge . I wonder if it still exists ?

SirVixofVixHall · 27/06/2021 15:00

Highgate not Hampstead . Wiki says it is no longer single sex. Very sad . It had a lovely feel. Women everywhere.

Boood · 27/06/2021 15:09

I love the idea of this. I do worry that, being child free and generally quite introverted, I risk being pretty lonely if (when, realistically) I outlive my husband. I’d have to have my own place though, I’d only do it if it was having a fully self-contained individual home within an active community.

Harriedharriet · 27/06/2021 15:27

My great aunt moved into a very nice hotel! She had all the obvious benefits hotel living. She would sit in the lobby by the fire place watching the coming! We loved going to see her! Tea in the summer was in the gardens, and in the winter was by the fire in the lobby! She was not married and did not have children. If you found the right place it may well be less expensive than a retirement home!

Tvci5 · 27/06/2021 19:01

I didn't know this was a thing?! Sounds like a great idea and something I would be interested in (and I'm married) 😀

Original poster
womaninatightspot · 29/06/2021 23:14

@Tvci5

I didn't know this was a thing?! Sounds like a great idea and something I would be interested in (and I'm married) 😀
Apparently there's only 1 though so odds aren't great I do hope we see a rise in cohousing schemes for women and everyone else. It seems like a good way to combat isolation and loneliness which seems to increase as we age.
OP posts:
seasonalremarks · 29/06/2021 23:35

Yes I think would like to do this in later life. My fondest memories are of a supposed stop gap in a YWCA as a student until I found a shared house but ended up staying 3 years.

It was full of men though not sure why?

JackieTheFart · 30/06/2021 00:08

I honestly love the idea of communal living in general - but when I’m older this sounds great.

Taliskerskye · 30/06/2021 00:23

I would totally be up for this. I thought once that if all my friends clubbed together and sold our houses (when older) we could buy a small country house with gardens and communal living. Would be great

Juliecanter · 30/06/2021 00:26

This is only possible with women buying their flat and paying a service fee for the shared space.
So what happens when they need to sell their flat? Is it legal to say it can only be sold to a woman? What about if someone says they identify as a woman?

Temporaryanonymity · 30/06/2021 00:26

Actually this is exactly what my friends and I have half seriously talked about for when we are older. Pool our resources, hire in the help we need and keep each other company. We are all single, in our late 40s/early 50s and our ultimate vision is a large house with pool in France or Italy, although we’d be happy with a house by the sea in this country.

Juliecanter · 30/06/2021 00:27

@Harriedharriet

My great aunt moved into a very nice hotel! She had all the obvious benefits hotel living. She would sit in the lobby by the fire place watching the coming! We loved going to see her! Tea in the summer was in the gardens, and in the winter was by the fire in the lobby! She was not married and did not have children. If you found the right place it may well be less expensive than a retirement home!
I think this sounds ideal. But you would have to be very rich.
fallfallfall · 30/06/2021 00:46

there's one in the small city i live in.
surprised how much personal info they have each posted but it's online...
www.rarebirdshousing.ca/
interesting concept. i wonder what the turnover is like?

Bloodybridget · 30/06/2021 03:18

A friend of mine is a member of a group working towards setting up co-housing for older lesbians, in London. They have taken steps to ensure ethnic diversity, and there will be a mixture of owned and rented accommodation.

Graphista · 30/06/2021 03:59

Absolutely - I think I said on another housing thread that we need to look at alternatives to "traditional" housing but iirc the op was saying all single people should be made to house share. I am seriously mentally ill and wouldn't cope flat sharing with another and quite honestly I wouldn't inflict me on another either!

I am single and disabled and it's nigh on impossible to find one bed places! I'm in a 2 bed at the moment and luckily as I'm in Scotland the council covers the bedroom tax but I'm well aware if I were south of the border I'd be stuffed!

Self contained studios in communal blocks with a concierge service and various security features and good infrastructure would be ideal for me.

As long as antisocial behaviour was kept well in line! That's been my greatest problem - the anti social neighbours!

At the moment I cannot access supported living type places as I'm not yet old enough and not yet quite disabled enough - by the time I am it'll be a bloody nightmare moving! Yet I hear the local places of this type many are lying empty!

I lived in bed sits snd studios when I was younger and loved it! Neighbours to socialise with when I wanted privacy when I didn't.

From a brief look (as this would be perfect for me) it appears that it's been attempted near me but that there were major obstacles (principally lack of govt support - locals and national) which has led to projects closing or never getting off the ground.

We have a MASSIVE need for affordable, community housing in this country but such schemes will be very difficult to get off the ground under this current govt - cos there's no money in it for them! And I don't mean at a state level - because such schemes would save the state money long term in the benefits to residents - I'm talking back pockets!

If I could work again or if I could get the same amount of housing benefit as I do now or if I won the lottery! Living in a hotel - even a basic one - would suit me just fine too.