Women Boomers and Shared Housing

Hi, I am wondering if anyone knows of shared housing websites for boomer women looking for shared housing for those pending retirement? I have an advanced degree with grown kids but having gone through a messy divorce, I no longer have adequate income ( nor do I want to) live alone. Looking for like minded individuals who are fit, like NPR, good food and meaningful friendships as we enter the third phase of our lives.

Hi Portland2636 and welcome to our forum. Thanks for stopping by and asking a great question. I hope you will get a good discussion going here -- and that you will stick around and spend some time with us on a regular basis.

As I understand it, the concept of shared living for adults is sometimes known as "co-ho" -- sort for "Communal Home-ownership" -- and it operates similarly to the dynamic of that old TV show, "The Golden Girls."

Except that in that show, I think one housemate -- Blanche Devereaux -- owned the house, while the other three, Dorothy Zbornak, Sophia Petrillo, and Rose Nylund paid her rent.

In the newer "co-ho" concept, as I understand it, the home ownership is shared by non-related adults.

I first heard of this back in 2008 and at that time I wrote a post about it in my blog, "BoomerLifestyle.com.

I just checked this post to see if it could offer you any help, and I discovered that some of the links in it have gone bad. So I guess that means I need to update that post.

Meanwhile, I found a few websites for you.

• This one, sadly, probably won't do you much good, as it is located in the UK -- but it's exactly what you seek - an older women's co-housing website.
• Here's a site for a co-ho community in Corvallis, Oregon
• Here's what may be your best bet -- a site with a co-housing directory for the US.
• And here's another article about older women sharing a home.

If these are bigger concepts than you had in mind -- if all you really seek is to find a like-minded Boomer Woman to share a house with, your best bet might be to contact a local church, synagogue or other similar organization, to see if they know of any local programs that introduce and pair people as housemates. One non-secular source of help might be searching classified ads in your local newspaper or Craigslist.

Anyone else here in the BWS community have any suggestions?

Let us know how you fare, Portland. And Portland should be an area for you to find like-minded women.

2 women (sisters) told me 2 wks. ago that they liked the idea of co-housing. They said they hated cooking, etc. But I don't mind cooking and would hate the idea of doing the same task over and over for larger groups of people. (ie. over 3-4)

Honest, it's something I would only want to do with siblings.. since after all we all did look after a 2nd house that my parents rented out and we lived in. To look after stuff since parents were in different city.

I would be happy in a clean, new and warm tiny space with my own kitchen and bathroom even if the space was reduced alot.

Hi Anne,
I'm a newbie to this forum: wanted to let you know I've added some info on shared housing resources in Portland, OR and nationwide as a response to Portland2636.

I've also included some contact info in case anyone would like to connect with me about shared housing. Lots of resources to share around the country!

Thanks for keeping this thread going. Such a needed topic!

Warmly,
Zoe

Hi Zoe, and welcome to the BWS forum. I'm delighted that you found us.

I'm not sure where you added the info on Portland, OR shared housing, I'm not seeing any links.

HI Anne,

I sent Orchid the links to the Lets Share Housing Lets Share Housing website.
I have also included links in my signature.
If they are disabled, I am guessing they won't show?

Looking forward to contributing to the forums. Thanks for the welcome hello!

Zoe

Hi Zoe, No, those links show up. I just didn't know if that one link was the one you were mentioning that added info on Portland.

Delighted to have you here, and I just sent you an email.

Anne

Yes, Anne it was the links inside my post with the links to the shared housing website that I was referring to.

We're multi-tasking dialogues..! Thanks for the warm welcome.
Z