David West spent decades as a cinematographer in Los Angeles, raising four children while working in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets. A few years ago, his life changed rapidly: a divorce, the death of his brother, the loss of his dog, and the passing of several longtime clients. The combined blows drained his savings and damaged his credit.
He moved to Fresno and, now at 72, is sharing a house with a stranger — a living arrangement he hadn’t pictured for his later years. “Everything went south,” he said, summing up the cascade of events. He jokes about trying to fit an apartment’s worth of belongings into a single room and still doesn’t have it figured out.
West looked into housing assistance but fell just over the income cutoff, so house‑sharing became the practical option. His roommate, also an older man, pays for utilities, cable and Wi‑Fi; West volunteers his photography skills at the roommate’s church and shares a Costco membership. “It’s that give‑and‑take thing,” he said. “Trying to help each other out as much as possible.”
A growing trend
West’s situation is part of a broader shift: older adults are increasingly seeking roommates. Listings site SpareRoom reports that the share of adults 65 and older looking to rent with a roommate has tripled over the past decade. While seniors don’t yet make up the largest cohort of people seeking roommates, they are the fastest‑growing group, according to the site.
The rise in older roommates reflects multiple forces. Many younger adults remain living with parents for longer to save money, while people in their 50s, 60s and beyond are finding it harder to afford solo rentals. “Maybe 10 years ago they’d have rented a studio or one‑bedroom,” a SpareRoom spokesperson said. “Now they look at prices and realize they can’t afford that.”
The squeeze has been driven by rising housing costs nationwide. The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University reported that in 2023 more than a third of households headed by someone 65 or older struggled to pay housing costs — a share that is even greater among women living alone. Jennifer Molinsky, who studies aging and housing at the center, notes that older adults are more likely than working‑age households to be burdened by housing costs, and the problem worsens with age. Middle‑income households are feeling the strain more than in the past.
Compounding the financial pressure are life events that often occur later in life: chronic illness, the loss of a spouse and other shocks that increase debt and vulnerability. Caezilia Loibl, who researches the financial impacts of health and bereavement at Ohio State University, says these events can sharply raise debt burdens, lead to slipping on payments, lower credit scores and even result in bankruptcy or foreclosure.
More than cost savings
Money is the main motive for many older sharers, but not the only one. Darla Desautel, 74, has rented with roommates for years and sees positives beyond savings. She likes the freedom of not being tied to a long lease and believes companionship is healthier than living alone. One roommate, another older woman, proved especially compatible: “We had a lot in common, and that’s pretty special when that works out,” she said.
Roommates can bring practical tradeoffs: one partner might cover utilities while the other handles chores or brings memberships and skills to the household. For West, volunteering his photography services and sharing a warehouse account helps balance the arrangement.
There are downsides, too. Desautel recalls living situations where thermostat battles left the house too cold in winter and too hot in summer, or where odors and noisy speakerphone calls created friction. “Noise is huge,” she said. “A lot of people think they’re quiet when they really aren’t.”
If she could afford it, Desautel says she would prefer a short‑term solo rental, but that would consume more than half her income. She supplements Social Security with occasional consulting work and sells secondhand items, and she’s proud of how she’s pared down possessions to stay mobile. “Right now I can move across the country with 10 boxes shipped USPS and take a plane,” she said.
Practical considerations
For older adults weighing house‑share options, compatibility and clear agreements matter. Shared expenses, chores and guest policies should be discussed upfront. Health needs, privacy expectations and how to handle conflicts are important to clarify before moving in together.
Community organizations, senior centers and online listings geared toward older adults can help match compatible roommates. Some municipalities and nonprofits also pilot shared‑housing programs that pair older homeowners with renters who provide companionship or light household help in exchange for reduced rent.
A common thread
For many older renters, the choice to live with others is a pragmatic response to housing costs and life changes. For some, it also revives older models of communal living: trade, mutual support and the social benefits of sharing a home.
West, who once worked behind the camera in Hollywood, is adjusting to a new role in front of a different kind of challenge: making a room into a workable home. “It’s trying to help each other out as much as possible,” he said. The arrangement isn’t what he imagined for his retirement, but it’s keeping him afloat — financially and socially — at a time when more people his age are finding that shared housing is the most viable option.