Adult dorms? Why coliving is growing in the South

Living with roommates has long been a way to save money on housing. In the past decade or so though, a new class of professionally managed roommate housing has emerged called coliving – think of -up version of college dorms. Coliving providers take the typical hassles out of roommate living while giving residents a quick way to meet new people and save on rent. While coliving in the U.S. emerged first in pricey real estate markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, coliving providers have been expanding in the South as way to diversify their portfolios and fulfill a demand for more affordable housing. In Houston, a couple of upscale coliving providers are adding new communities, alongside Atlanta housing startup PadSplit that uses coliving as a way to increase the supply of affordable homes. In this episode of Looped In, hosts Marissa Luck and R.A. Schuetz talk about the rise of coliving in the Houston, with insight from coliving expert Susan Tjarksen of Cushman and Wakefield as well as the founder of PadSplit, Atticus LeBlanc about the future of the growing niche housing sector. Related stories: Communal living is on the rise in Houston as coliving residents embrace flexible, cheaper leases New cohousing development in Houston aims to turn neighbors into extended families PadSplit launches shared housing option in Houston From Looped In’s archives: Texas’ first cohousing community is coming to the East End. Here’s what it’s about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices