Who We Are

Sharing Housing is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting shared housing as a viable and enjoyable answer to the joint crises of housing affordability and loneliness facing our society. Shared housing is an ancient method of survival and well-being that can be adapted to modern life.

Vision

Shared housing is a universally accepted living arrangement—individuals feel happy, safe and at peace with home-mates, and organizations encourage shared housing for their constituents.

Mission

We work with organizations, housing professionals, the aging network and local officials who are seeking to develop shared housing in their communities. The twin crises of high housing costs and an increase in social isolation combine to render cooperative living arrangements an excellent solution.  By providing education, advocacy, and model development we can empower individuals to choose, create and sustain shared housing. We envision a world in which sharing housing is a commonly accepted living arrangement and individuals feel happy, safe and at peace with home-mates.

Why It Matters

Twenty-nine percent of all households in the U.S. are single occupancy. Adults living alone is the number one cause of social isolation, with an estimated cost to Medicare of $6.7 billion a year. We are particularly concerned with the “forgotten middle” — people who don’t qualify for poverty programs but can’t sustain themselves on their incomes. Shared housing addresses both crises at once.

Sharing Housing was founded by Annamarie Pluhar. Read her story →

As a senior who’s embarking on an adventure to find and live with a compatible home-mate, I need all the help I can get. And I found it in Annamarie’s lively and informative classes. …..Thanks, Annamarie, for sharing your knowledge and passion with us. You offer a wonderful resource that’s helping many people learn to live compatibly with others.