Private, self-contained apartments paired with shared spaces and services — from laundry rooms to gardens and common halls. Cohousing is entering San Marino’s housing policy debate, and on Monday 21 September it will take center stage at a public evening organized by the Secretariat of State for Territory and Environment.
The event, titled “Cohousing: a new housing model for San Marino”, is scheduled for 8:30 pm at the former International Hall in Borgo Maggiore. The initiative has been relaunched by Libera, which is inviting residents to take part in the discussion.
“In recent years, even in our Republic, we’ve increasingly heard about cohousing — a concept that in 2026 became a concrete part of housing policy and territorial planning in the Republic of San Marino,” reads Libera’s statement.
The underlying concept is that of a collaborative housing model: each person or family has their own home, maintaining independence and privacy, while certain spaces and services are shared with other residents.
“Imagine a building with 10 apartments. Each family has its own apartment, but everyone can use a large common room, a garden and a laundry. Residents can organize shared dinners, activities, or help each other with everyday needs. The goal is to foster sociability, mutual support and exchange between generations,” the movement explains.
In San Marino, cohousing has been incorporated into territorial planning under the H2 designation. For projects developed on private land, specific agreements apply and, where certain incentives are granted, at least 30% of the project’s value must be allocated to below-market rentals.
Libera also stresses that this is not a solution designed exclusively for the elderly. “In San Marino’s institutional debate,” the statement continues, “it has also been proposed for young people, couples, families, single people and the elderly.”
Monday’s evening will therefore serve to explore in depth a model still little known in San Marino, examining its social, economic and environmental dimensions as well. “It’s an opportunity for discussion and reflection on a form of housing still largely unfamiliar in our country, but one that in other contexts is proving to be a concrete response to new housing needs, intergenerational sociability, and the economic and environmental sustainability of living.”
Following introductory remarks from Secretary of State Matteo Ciacci, speakers will include architect Stefano Bassan of Co-housing Veneto, Sylvia Colombini and Elia Cecchetti of Piudiunacasa, and Carlo Renzini, who will explore cohousing also as a tool for social medicine and preventive geriatric care. The evening will be moderated by Alfonsina Guidi.
“Libera invites citizens to take part in large numbers,” the statement concludes, “convinced that it is worth exploring and evaluating the potential of this new way of living for San Marino.”
