Community Building for Old Age: Breaking New Ground. The UK’s first senior cohousing community, High Barnet

This paper offers a case study in active community-building. It describes an initiative conceived and driven by a group of older women who, understanding that living alone as they grew old could leave them vulnerable, looked to each other to develop and share their social capital. To this end, they have built a cohousing community based on shared responsibility and mutual support. When ‘New Ground’ Cohousing opened in High Barnet at the end of 2016 it was the UK’s first ever senior cohousing community and mixed tenure. Providing 25 purpose built homes for 26 women aged from early 50’s to late 80’s in High Barnet, North London, as reported by the Housing LIN, it has received many accolades and awards for its very pleasing, age-proofed architecture.