In Sweden there are more than fifty collective houses, most of them were built in the 1980s and the Swedish Housing Agency testifies that interest in this type of housing is increasing.
- But only in Helsingborg do you have such an elaborate purpose for housing and an idea of how to promote integration in society, says Dr. Ivette Arroyo, who is researching housing development at Lund University.
She believes in the concept but notes that there is not so much research in the field.
The mix of people is important- The fact that elderly people are part of the housing mix, I think is a success factor for integration. They are established in society and that particular contact might have been difficult to obtain for a newcomer. The young people I think will work as a bridge, but all this is something we should evaluate.
Ivette Arroyo believes that this type of accommodation can counteract loneliness. Today, about 18 percent of the population in Skåne live alone, it looks the same in the rest of the country.
- Social cohesion is the big win. Then it is complex to live together in this way, with common rules and thus requirements.
But does this really fit everyone?
- It may fit more than we think. In order for more people to be attracted to living in this way, there must be a variation of collective housing with the possibility of varying degrees of participation in joint activities and self-management.