David West spent decades raising four children in Los Angeles while working as a Hollywood cinematographer. In recent years his life fell apart: a divorce, the deaths of his brother and his dog, the loss of longtime clients, and depleted savings that damaged his credit. He moved to Fresno, California, and at 72 now rents a room in a stranger’s home, a living arrangement he never expected but one that is becoming more common among older adults.
West found it impossible to fit an apartment’s worth of belongings into a single room. Because his income sits just above the threshold for housing subsidies, the savings from sharing a house matter. His older male roommate pays for Wi-Fi, utilities and cable. In return, West volunteers his photography skills at the roommate’s church and shares a Costco membership. He describes the situation as mutual help and practical give and take.
Rising housing costs are pushing people not only out of homeownership but out of renting alone. Data from listings site SpareRoom show the share of adults 65 and older looking to rent with a roommate has tripled over the past decade. SpareRoom’s communications director, Matt Hutchinson, says older adults are not the largest group of renters seeking housemates but are the fastest growing segment.
SpareRoom also finds that the roommate pool is skewing older for a couple of reasons. More young adults are staying in their parents’ homes for longer, while people in their 50s, 60s and beyond increasingly find solo rentals unaffordable. A decade ago many of these older renters might have taken a one-bedroom or studio; today many see the prices and conclude they cannot afford to live alone.
The squeeze is widespread. In 2023, the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard reported that more than a third of households headed by someone 65 or older struggled to pay housing costs, with an even higher share among women living alone. Jennifer Molinsky, who studies aging and housing at the center, notes that older adults are more likely than working-age adults to be burdened by housing costs, that the burden grows with age, and that it is now affecting people higher up the income scale.
Financial shocks tied to health problems or the loss of a spouse can deepen the strain. Caezilia Loibl, chair of the Consumer Sciences Program at Ohio State University, studies the financial consequences of chronic disease and bereavement and says such shocks often lead to increased debt, lower credit scores, heightened bankruptcy risk and even foreclosure.
For some seniors, shared housing brings advantages beyond cutting expenses. Darla Desautel, 74, has chosen shared rentals for years because they offer flexibility and company. She currently house-sits in Minnesota and plans to spend the summer in Arizona. Desautel prefers not being rooted in one place and believes not living alone is healthier. She remembers a previous roommate, an older woman with whom she connected closely, and says that kind of companionship can be special.
Shared living is not without friction. Desautel mentions disagreements over thermostat settings, smelly litter boxes and noisy conversations on speakerphone. She points out that many people assume they are quiet when they are not. If she could afford a short-term solo lease, she would take it, but that would use more than half her income. In addition to Social Security, she supplements her earnings with occasional consulting and by selling secondhand goods.
Desautel has deliberately pared down her possessions to stay mobile and plans to find another roommate when her current house-sit ends. West and others see house-sharing as both a response to financial pressure and a way to stretch limited resources while gaining companionship and practical help.
As housing costs remain elevated, more older adults are choosing or being pushed into shared living arrangements that resemble earlier eras when multi-person households were more typical. For many, living with roommates is a pragmatic adaptation that combines affordability with social and logistical support.