Is it possible for today’s seniors to return to their hippie past? For some, plans are in the works.

Youth of the 1960s were a powerful social force that introduced a greater acceptance of community or “commune” living. While the concept never went mainstream, commune-type living is a niche arrangement that takes many forms today, from housing co-operatives in the city, to back-to-the-earth rural compounds, to religious groups seeking to live with their own kind.

If there’s a “hippie” feel to all of this, it’s for good reason. Many of these communities are progressive, socialist in leaning, and seeking a higher ideal in their living. It sure sounds like the 1960s.

Which takes us to commune living for seniors. I heard about this first from a group of men who played hockey together and lived in the same neighbourhood. Recognizing that many would need to “cash out” and sell their homes as they got older, the group lamented the possible loss of their community. One answer was to establish a single housing collective that everyone could move to to maintain their social bonds.

While that idea has never gotten beyond beer talk (at least not yet), I recently learned of another friend who was actively involved in a group that had moved beyond the talking stage and were scouting potential building sites. It may not be for me, but it certainly put the idea on my radar.

The push for senior communes

The attractiveness of senior communes is that it bypasses traditional retirement homes (too institutional) or living alone arrangements (no community, too lonely). A commune brings like-minded people together who can care for each other – and bring in help as needed as group members age.

Of course, there are countless hurdles to such arrangements that range from funding, to legal status, to rules relating to who can live in the complex and what the responsibilities of living there entail.

The Huffington Post ran an article about this recently.

One of the Toronto groups mentioned in the article, Baba Yaga Place, is in the process of making their community living project a reality. It’s modelled on a Paris commune of senior women that is up and running. The Paris commune took 13 years to establish, but Baba Yaga Place is hoping their development stage is quicker. You can follow their progress through their website.

Are you ready to channel your inner-hippie as you enter your senior years? You may soon have options.

Thanks for reading,
Ian Hull