I don’t know if you’ve looked around but there are a bunch of senior retirement communities out there. Senior Housing News, a senior housing industry publication counts over 30,000 professionals and experts in the senior industry. And while Baby Boomers are making the move to those communities, even more are trying to redefine just what it means to be aging in America. One option being bandied about is co-locating. The idea is to get together with friends and live in housing that doesn’t necessarily share the same roof but does share the same neighborhood. Unlike co-housing, which requires more formal strictures, co-locating allows friends and family to share apartment units, duplexes, and sub-divided houses.
Group living provides some degree of comfort. There’s always someone there to help out if someone is sick and while cities can make some people feel that everyone’s a stranger, co-locating means you always have a friend nearby. For people who would find the idea of a “Golden Girls” living arrangement to be too crowded, living in the same vicinity provides a sense of family while protecting the privacy of the individual members.
Not everyone wants to live with friends. Some people choose to live with strangers. Shared housing in all its many guises offers people a sense of community when they might otherwise be lonely. But, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. This article provides some suggestions for successful co-locating including sharing resources, giving a helping hand to each other and allowing everyone to have their own space. If you’re considering co-locating, get professional help before making such an important step.
In Pierce County, Shared Housing offers a means to connect with strangers if you are considering home sharing.
In King County, you can contact Shared Housing at this link.
