ARE you a woman in your mid-50s looking to settle down into an affordable place of your own, but where you're surrounded by like-minded ladies?
Work is underway on an new cohousing precinct in the NSW Illawarra designed for women aged 55 and over living on their own - and the developers want your input.
Jasmine Grove will be a collaborative housing neighbourhood in Kanahooka, south of Wollongong. And the not-for-profit behind the development, retirement village operator and aged care provider IRT Group, wants to pick the brains of senior women for ideas on how the community will function.
A community within a community, the collaborative housing project will be set within the new Henry Brooks Estate retirement village at IRT Kanahooka, which is currently under construction.
IRT Group chief executive Patrick Reid said the organisation is seeing a growing number of women over 55 who have real concerns about where they are going to live as they age.
"Women are retiring with 47 per cent less superannuation than men, yet their time in retirement is longer, with women living an average of five years longer," he said.
He said more options are needed for retired women living on their own that fit within their financial means, while promoting friendship and social connection.
"Our vision is for Jasmine Grove to be a place where women share resources, grow friendships, community connections and support one another in living their best lives as they age.
"We hope future residents will enjoy cooking and sharing meals together in the communal kitchen made from fresh veggies they have grown in their own garden."
Partially funded by the federal government, Jasmine Grove will provide long-term, affordable housing for a small group of like-minded women over 55.
Designed to offer independence without isolation, and to encourage the sharing of resources and spaces, Jasmine Grove will feature eight one-bedroom self-contained villas surrounding a communal kitchen and garden.
The pet-friendly villas will include a kitchen, dining area, lounge room, laundry, outdoor storage and parking space. The shared spaces will include a full kitchen, dining table for eight residents, a lounge area with TV, an outdoor barbecue area, additional outdoor storage and shared vegetable garden and green spaces.
Residents will also receive 50 hours of integrated IRT Home Care services within the first year of living there.
IRT is seeking expressions of interest from women over 55 to live at Jasmine Grove and collaborate with the organisation in defining how the co-housing community will function.
This will include everything from building a resident charter, to principles for governing shared spaces, to selecting furnishings for the shared spaces and designing the decorative and vegetable gardens.
Pricing will start from an upfront contribution of $199,000 plus instalments, with construction expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2021.
To register your interest visit www.irt.org.au/jasminegrove
Geraldine Cardozo
Features Editor at The Senior.
Features Editor at The Senior.
