Community housing, boarding houses, and communal living arrangements have been around since the 1840s, as indicated by a brochure by the Academy of American Poets when it identified the boarding houses where Walt Whitman and Edgar Allen Poe rested their heads.  Even though such concepts long have been a part of society, co-living facilities are receiving new scrutiny in an unregulated gray area of DC zoning regulations, as more developers become interested in meeting this segment of the market.

You may be asking yourself, “What is co-living, exactly?”  Co-living is a modern form of housing where residents intentionally share living space and, ostensibly, choose to live around a shared set of interests.  Those interests in many cases revolve around guiding principles like: openness and collaboration; social networking; and the sharing economy.  The amenities and locations can be great – many co-living dwellings feature shared kitchen space and living rooms – and, often, the monthly rental price is much lower than for a standalone, one-bedroom unit.   With the resurgence of this product, then, rather than scouring Craigslist for a roommate to share the rental costs while, hopefully, avoiding the scammer, party animal, or slob, co-living can be a much preferred alternative.  Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the millennial generation (and others) have embraced this ancient concept and given it new life.

Many tag co-living as “dorms for grown-ups,” but it is not just 20-somethings who stand to benefit from co-living arrangements.  Innovative co-living housing designs are being proposed for all age groups, including the aging boomer population that wants to maintain a social lifestyle throughout its retirement years.  Further, co-living arrangements offer new opportunities for low-income households, as well as households with disabled members. Read more ›