Page 8 - C.A.L.L. #23 - Spring 2004
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Ingrid Eckerman, MD, Sweden) and one is planned in Mölndal, outside
Svenska Läkare för Miljön (Swedish Doctors for Gothenburg. Then there are a lot of others, in
the Environment) SLFM Kollektivhusföreningen many different forms. Some are big houses with
Sockenstugan (Co-house Sockenstugan) 100 apartments and many children, others can be
Res: Statsradsvagen 11, just 10-15 young people in a villa. Sometimes the
SE-128 38 Stockholm (Skarpnack). inhabitants own the apartments or the villa, but
eckerman@algonet.se renting is more common. A few are eco-villages.
This co-housing where I live is meant for people Meals: we only cook supper Monday-Friday
from the age of 40 and upwards, the second half together. The rest of our meals we do privately -
of life, with no children at home. It is situated in there is a kitchen with each apartment. We are
a nice suburb, surrounded with villas, and very divided into 4 groups with 11-12 members. Each
close to a forest and a lake. Everyone has his/her group is responsible for one week - planning,
own apartment of 1, 2 or 3 rooms. Together we shopping, cooking and washing up. That means
have a big kitchen, a drawing room and a dining six hours of work every fourth week. Very
room, as well as some hobby rooms. We rent the comfortable! It is compulsory to take part in this,
apartments from a company that is owned by the but voluntary to eat. We have one meat/fish dish
town of Stockholm. There is a big and one vegetarian. On Fridays the
garden that we look after food is a little better, with dessert.
ourselves. We cook together We can bring guests and pay a little
Monday - Friday, except for more as they do not work. During
during the summer and other the Christmas holiday and in the
holidays when people travel to summer there is no common cooking
various places. There are 44 as people visit their children, travel
apartments, and we are 47 etc.
people, 75% women (why are
men so afraid of moving in???). Other compulsory work is cleaning
We try to have all ages, but half inside (common rooms, corridors,
of us were born during the 1940’s stairs, laundry etc) and gardening
(there was a baby boom at that which we do for the owner of the
time). The youngest is 44, the house (a building company owned
oldest 80 (but he is the only one by the town of Stockholm). This is
climbing trees!). the main income of the commune.
Ingrid plays her violin The owner looks after the house, the
big trees and the snow.
In Sweden, the number of old people is growing
fast, and too few babies are born. This means it is There are working groups for the garden,
difficult for us to get good care when we need it. cleaning, computer equipment, party planning,
In this kind of house, we move in while we are library and furniture etc - about 12-18 people in
still strong and well and can take part in all of each working group.
the work - and make friends. When we get ill, we
might get help from our neighbours (if they We have a big, well-equipped kitchen, a dining
became our friends). Also, we do not need to feel room and a drawing room. We can use these for
lonely. There are always people around to talk to private parties on Saturdays. Apart from this
or ask for help. there are two guest rooms, a sauna, hobby rooms
(textiles, physical activity, carpentry - and a
At the moment, there are two co-houses of this photo lab that is used for looking after indoor
kind in Stockholm, one in Lund (south of flowers). The laundry is standard in Swedish
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