Members of the Elderly Table of Sostre Cívic present to the Commission of Social Rights of the Parliament of Catalonia a series of proposals to facilitate the development of cooperative housing in right of use for the elderly, which offers an alternative to traditional residences.

Last Wednesday, February 28 Sostre Cívic appeared in the presentation of the Proposition of the law for the elderly, in the Social Rights Commission of the Parliament of Catalonia, to defend his vision on active aging and the need to promote models of cooperative housing in the transfer of 'use for elderly people. The participation of the cooperative was carried out by Carmen Vega, member of its Governing Council; Joseph Maria Ricart, from the driving group of Walden XXI, the first cooperative housing for the elderly to be developed in Catalonia; i James Elias, from the driving group of Can70, the first cooperative housing for the elderly to be developed in the city of Barcelona. All three are partners of Sostre Cívic and participate in the cooperative's Seniors' Table, the participation space that brings together all the projects and groups of partners that develop cooperative housing projects in the right of use specific for the elderly.

During their appearance, the members representing Sostre Cívic they set out their vision on the need to overcome the conception of aging as a stage of inevitable deterioration. "A new approach is needed that leaves behind old age as an inevitable and irreversible physical and mental deterioration, becoming a dynamic, active process with opportunities" he claimed Carmen Vega in front of the deputies of all the political groups of the Parliament present at the session. He advocated incorporating into the text of the future Law a clear commitment to the deinstitutionalization of care and care for the elderly, with the aim of promoting a model that allows people to stay at home and that care services and health workers adapt to this reality. In this sense, they presented the cooperative housing in right of use as a viable option to guarantee a dignified and autonomous life in old age. This not-for-profit model offers seniors a community living space that combines independence, mutual support and care services, while promoting democratic governance and self-management by users.

The intervention of the representatives of Sostre Cívic it was accompanied by a series of specific proposals aimed at being incorporated into the body of the future Elderly Law that is being prepared by Parliament, with the aim of facilitating the development of cooperative housing for the elderly. These proposals include:

• The recognition of cooperative housing in right of use as a type of care service.
• Access to preferential financing, subsidies and public guarantees.
• Incorporation of care provided within the cooperatives into the Portfolio of services, including quality and training requirements for staff.
• The establishment of tax incentives for cooperatives and people who contribute to them.
• Access to land and buildings for the construction of cooperative housing.

With this initiative, Sostre Cívic seeks to promote a paradigm shift in the way of approaching the aging of the population. The cooperative considers that the cooperative housing in right of use can become a key piece to build a future where the elderly can enjoy a full and active life, actively participating in society.

It is not the first time that the Social Rights Commission has debated about cooperative housing in right of use and, specifically, the specific model for the elderly. On May 18, 2022, this same Commission approved resolution 374/XIV that recognized the cooperative housing model in right of use also for the elderly, and the importance of providing them with resources and including them in the portfolio of services.

You can see the contributions of Sostre Cívic in Parliament in this video: