This is something I often reflect on because my parents live in an apartment. It was their retirement plan: to downsize from the four-bedroom house where my three siblings and I grew up into a two bedroom unit. Their apartment complex is in the same neighborhood as their old house, just about a mile away.
The Advantage to Apartment Living
Most of my parent’s friends don’t understand their logic. Why sell off such a valuable asset? But my parents love the freedom that comes with living in an apartment. The monthly rent and utility payment is hundreds of dollars less than what they paid on their mortgage. They don’t have to worry about all of the inevitable upkeep and repair costs that a house requires, and they don’t miss the endless housework like mowing the lawn, raking leaves and shoveling snow. All of their extra time and money goes toward traveling and participating in the community.
Their apartment complex, Brooklawn, is inhabited mostly by retirees–some have lived there for twenty years or more. I know and recognize a lot of the residents because I visit my parents frequently and it’s a social building–there’s almost always a group of folks sitting around the lobby: talking, laughing, saying “hey, how ya doing!?” to most everyone who walks in.
Many of the residents are widowed, or otherwise single, and I would guess that the easily accessible social outlet of the downstairs lobby adds years and vitality to their lives. They have autonomy, but not the isolation or loneliness that could set in if they lived alone in a house.
Brooklawn used to cater exclusively to tenants 55 and older, but now it allows a third of its renters to be younger than that demographic. I assume this decision was mostly logistic on the part of management, because they had trouble keeping the building at full occupancy with only older renters, but the presence of families with young children bring energy and variety to an already vital community. Multi-generational spaces, especially housing, offer many proven benefits.
So, an apartment building does offer reduced cost of living and great social engagement–benefits also gained through the practice of shared housing. However, I do think shared housing offers multiple benefits that solo apartment living does not.
But Aging In Place
Many folks seeking the resources of Sharing Housing, Inc. desire staying in a house they’ve inhabited for many years. They are comfortable. Inviting housemates into the home you already occupy, rather than uprooting yourself in order to rent a smaller place, makes good sense for many reasons.
The Ordeal of Downsizing
The top reason—downsizing and relocating is an ordeal! Sorting through decades of accumulated belongings and selling or donating the majority of household furniture can be a years-long process. I know my parents spent several years working and planning in the lead-up to actual “moving day,” and purposefully went through the process early on in their retirement, while still healthy and active enough to undergo the process.
Moving out of a longtime home is not only a physical upheaval, it is an emotional one. Instead of dismantling and leaving behind your longtime home, invite new home-mates to join you there.
Pets
What about pets? At Brooklawn there are many delightful dogs–among them a chihuahua named Killer, a black Poodle named Bishop, and a small terrier named Peaches. Whenever I see the Brooklawn residents with dogs, I wonder who will take care of the animals if their owners have to go out of town for a period of time. Do they have to board the animals, or hire pet sitter? Home-mates who interact with an animal every single day offer a much easier and more natural form of pet-sitting.
Safety
What about safety? For older people especially–if, god forbid, you fell and injured yourself, would anyone be able to hear you shouting in distress? If you are sick, who would go to the pharmacy to pick up cold medicine for you? In an apartment, help is just down the hallway, but not as readily available as someone living under the same roof.
Everyday Tasks
How About Everyday Tasks? Even something as quotidian as, say, having trouble opening a jar of spaghetti sauce, or needing someone to hold the apartment door open while you bring in your cart of groceries. Sometimes a tiny bit of assistance with everyday tasks is an enormous time saver, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve enlisted a home-mate to give me a hand in assembling IKEA furniture, or tying a ribbon on wrapped present, or opening stubborn jars.
On Balance
So while apartment living definitely has it’s advantages, choosing shared housing and having the kind of support that comes when you live under a roof also has it advantages. It depends on what you want and what your options are.
An article about this same subject, apartments vs. houses, called “Why You Should Rethink the American Dream” has some interesting ideas and commentary. (https://nosidebar.com/why-you-should-rethink-the-american-dream/).
But if shared housing is your interest you might find this of value: Making a Golden Girls Home a Reality.
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