Photograph Collage by Brittany Dexter/photographs by Stock.Adobe.com
Lifelong friends Diana Burton and Doreen McCormick have shared countless card games, strong evening beverages, and road trips over the years. Their bond deepened when Burton’s son married McCormick’s daughter, making them co-grandmothers. Now, they’re taking the next step: moving in together. The grandmas are house-hunting for a rental in Northern Kentucky, planning to split expenses and savor their friendship under one roof.
Shared housing isn’t just for college kids anymore. Once the domain of sock-strewn crash pads, it’s become a practical solution for adults at every stage of life.
The number of people aged 55 and over living with roommates has more than doubled since 2005, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Today, nearly a third of shared housing arrangements include at least one Baby Boomer or Gen Xer.
Steven Hill, 69, is living proof of the trend. For $650 a month, which includes utilities and WiFi, he has a private room with a TV and refrigerator in a spacious South Fairmount home. He shares common areas with six roommates.
“I’m the uncle to everyone in the house,” Hill says. “I make sure the house stays clean. When I cook, everybody comes running.” For Hill and his housemates, shared living brings both affordability and camaraderie. Hill was referred by the VA, but the property owner, Tiffani Ray, also welcomes the general public to her home shares.
As housing costs rise and the population ages, the old stigma around adult roommates is fading. Roommate-matching services help people find compatible housemates and offer safety features like background checks. But some, like Burton and McCormick, are forging their own path.
Eager to be closer to family in Northern Kentucky, the friends are relocating from Florida and Alabama to find a “cute place with a small yard” in Burlington. Neither could afford to live alone, and both appreciate having someone around in case of emergency. “We talked a lot on the phone and were honest about what each of us wanted, so everything would be clear from the start,” Burton says.
Their living arrangement promises to be harmonious: McCormick enjoys shopping for groceries, Burton loves to cook. They share similar tastes in TV and music. “We both love our cocktails,” Burton says, “and occasionally we’ll have an outside cigarette.”
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