Where the start and end of life co-exist.

“The power of birth. Of death. It’s here, and it’s a gift.”

What’s the idea?

In a residential apartment building in Brussels, a watchful and caring community welcomes new life, and bids farewell to the departing, as a backdrop to the everyday.

Started by its inhabitants, the ‘House of Pass-ages’ includes a dedicated apartment for people at the end of their life, and a birthing centre for lives just beginning. It sits between home and hospital – a place where birth and death happen with community support, and medical care is available if needed.

In this community of 23 permanent residents, everyone contributes. Some offer a few hours a week, others more – cooking meals, sitting bedside, welcoming new parents, or simply keeping the kettle warm. People like Therese – an older woman who can be seen bringing a freshly cooked pot of Osso Bucco to the birthing apartment for the mother to enjoy after birth. Residents are further supported by 60 volunteers from the local community, and a single paid coordinator. 

Together, they provide a nurturing space for new parents to welcome their children to the world, and for families and individuals to say a meaningful and dignified goodbye.

“Birth and death are alike in many ways. Perhaps, most of all, in what is needed at the time.The first need of a mother who gives birth, the first need of someone who is at the end of their life, is for someone to be present” 

– House of Pass-ages resident

What does it help us imagine?

In a country facing an acute shortage of palliative care beds, and where hospital is the default setting for birth, the House of Pass-ages offers a safe and comforting environment for life’s most profound transitions – and a powerful example of how care could be woven into everyday life, if our homes and communities were designed for it.

It also challenges us to push past our cultural habit of treating birth as a gift, and death as a tragedy or taboo. By placing birth and death side by side, under the one roof, the House of Pass-ages reminds us that both are equally natural, universal stages of the human journey – and that both deserve our presence, attention and engagement. The freedom to talk about life and death is encouraged here, and the constant presence of mortality helps residents stay conscious and connected to what matters most in life.

Lastly, it shows how community-based solutions can relieve pressure on formal care and medical service systems, at far less cost for both service users and society at large. The success and longevity of the House shows just how much is possible when communities are both motivated and resourced to take care into their own hands..

What can you do with this?

In Australia today, elements of a model like this are emerging, but aren’t yet converging under one roof. Still, there are ways to begin – and real opportunities to lead.

Start where you are

You don’t need to create a House of Pass-ages to follow its lead. 

• Join or start a ‘Compassionate Community’ initiative – part of a growing global movement to bring care back into communities. 
• Learn about end-of-life options through initiatives like Dying to Know Day, or find out about the role of death doulas at Preparing the Way. 
• Consider home-based support options via Palliative Care Australia. 
• Volunteer with a local hospice, palliative care service, neighbourhood house or community centre. 

Take it a step further

Could your apartment building, neighbourhood or community follow in the footsteps of the residents who started House of Pass-ages, and create your own approach to shared care? 

If you’re exploring this, we’d love to hear from you – and support where we can.