141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

275696
Senior cooperative housing: An alternative housing model to support aging in the community

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sherry Fontaine, PhD , Master of Public Health Program, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
Keith Jans , Real Estate Equities Development,LLC, Eagan, MN
The preferred living alternative for individuals over the age of 65 is to remain in their homes and communities as they age. Senior cooperative housing offers a moderately priced housing alternative that enables seniors to age in their communities; filling a market need in the spectrum of housing options for seniors who no longer want to maintenance responsibilities of home ownership but are not in need of assisted living. Senior cooperative housing represents a cohousing model, which through the purchase of membership shares, senior cooperative members collectively own the cooperative in which they live. As a cooperative, senior housing cooperatives operate under the principles of democratic control, open and voluntary membership, patronage dividends and a limited rate of return on investment. This presentation will provide an in-depth evaluation of the following successful limited equity senior housing cooperatives: Village Cooperative in Fergus Falls, Minnesota; Village Cooperative in Ames, Iowa and Village Cooperative in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The variables that will be evaluated include financial benefits/risks, contributions to community housing and community development, direct and indirect benefits to the health and social well-being of senior cooperative housing members, fostering of community engagement, and the prospects and limitations for growth of senior housing cooperatives.

Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Other professions or practice related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe the senior cooperative housing model. Assess the factors that contribute to the success of senior cooperative housing in supporting aging in the community. Evaluate the opportunities and limitations for the growth of the senior cooperative housing on a national scale.

Keywords: Aging, Housing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a faculty member in public health, have an academic background in health planning, and have conducted research in the areas of community health planning, housing, and aging in place.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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