Why we want the option to move to a cohousing community

Ireland has the highest level of housing under-occupancy in the EU. Older people are not holding onto houses that younger families need. There is nowhere suitable for them to move to

Cohousing will not solve Ireland’s housing crisis on its own, but it could become one of the most important pieces of the jigsaw. File picture

For many years, my wife Liz and I have lived in a wonderful family home in Blackrock in Cork. It is the house where we raised our children, celebrated birthdays, welcomed friends and built a lifetime of memories.

Like so many people in their fifties and sixties, we have reached a new chapter in our lives. Our children have grown and moved on. Retirement is appearing on the horizon.