Amit Ahuja was dwelling in Queens and like many others, was in search of an reasonably priced place to hire in Could of 2024. “I used to be dwelling someplace that wasn’t good in any respect, and desperately needed to maneuver,” shared Ahuja, 68, who was born in India. He defined that he heard of a coliving facility whereas at one of many day facilities, and reached out. Sadly, there have been no vacancies on the time and he was placed on a waitlist. His luck modified in August 2024 when one of many residents moved out of state, and he acquired off the waitlist.
The Workplace of New York State Comptroller estimates that in 2022, 3 million New York households skilled housing insecurity, which is characterised by points like burdensome housing prices, insufficient or unsafe dwelling situations, and the danger of eviction.
Minority populations are much more impacted. Black and Hispanic New York Metropolis residents are disproportionately affected by housing insecurity. The identical Comptroller’s report confirmed that fifty-five % of households headed by a Hispanic, and fifty % of properties with a Black head of family, had at the very least one housing insecurity drawback, as compared with the thirty-one % of households headed by a white particular person. Coliving generally is a viable housing answer for getting old New Yorkers, as a result of when completed appropriately, can supply a novel and tailor-made mix of group dwelling, affordability and help companies.
A burgeoning situation that complicates the housing disaster in New York is the quickly getting old inhabitants. The 65 and older inhabitants has elevated by 53% since 2000, making the expansion of the older inhabitants nearly 17 instances sooner than that of town’s complete inhabitants. Asian Individuals, which incorporates Indians, are the quickest rising senior inhabitants in New York Metropolis. The Asian American and Hispanic senior inhabitants doubled between 2000 and 2023, and the Black senior inhabitants has elevated by 68% throughout the identical time interval. The rising variety of immigrants arriving in New York Metropolis from Asia and Latin America, fueled this development.
The convergence of getting old, housing insecurity and immigration is an actual situation in New York Metropolis.
Inexpensive housing for seniors is essential as they typically reside on restricted, diminished or no earnings aside from social safety advantages. With the typical social safety examine for a 65-year-old being $1611 per thirty days, and the median hire for a two bed room in New York Metropolis at $3397 per thirty days as of early 2025, housing safety is an actual drawback for a few of the metropolis’s most weak.
As town grapples with this multilayered drawback, one facility has introduced a promising mannequin for an answer. India Dwelling, a nonprofit group based in 2007 and devoted to addressing the wants of the South Asian senior immigrant group, operates the coliving facility Ahuja moved into, situated in Queens, New York Metropolis.
“Coliving addresses social isolation, and housing wants whereas making use of present housing in a faster, extra intimate and significant means,” stated Shaaranya Pillai, deputy director at India Dwelling.
A housing answer rooted in historical past and group
Coliving has historic roots in historical agricultural communities, and communes of the hippie period, pushed largely by the necessity for social contact, financial necessity, or a mix of each. Immigrant communities have a historical past of multigenerational households dwelling beneath one roof. The idea of coliving attracts inspiration from the standard mannequin of joint households, a follow that has been a part of immigrant communities for hundreds of years. A 2024 research of impartial retired ladies in co-living communities discovered that many residents considered getting old as a continuation of significant dwelling somewhat than a decline. They embraced alternatives for lifelong studying, connection, and contribution and noticed themselves as lively, engaged members of their group somewhat than passive recipients of care. This mindset is useful throughout the board, and seems to incorporate these in co-living areas as effectively.
Samra Rashid, social work director at India Dwelling shared that “coliving properties promote social and emotional well-being by creating alternatives for interplay, engagement, and a way of belonging.” Rashid went on to say that coliving offers actions and help methods designed to fight loneliness and isolation, whereas selling independence and private development.
“Co-living works effectively when there are shared values and clear expectations,” defined Michelle Feng, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist with speciality coaching in geriatric psychology and drugs, “to maximise the optimistic impacts, it’s useful to have a structured means for residents to take part, together with organized group actions and shared duties. This helps not simply in clarifying roles and duties, however can add to the sense of goal and connection.”
Sudesh Kaboor, 84, additionally born in India, lives on the coliving facility in Queens operated by India Dwelling. “It was an experiment. I used to be dwelling with my son, and I needed to strive dwelling alone. I needed to additionally give my son’s household some privateness,” stated Kaboor, an accessible place the place her youngsters can nonetheless go to daily.
The India Dwelling coliving facility at the moment has 4 residents, throughout 65. All of them have particular person rooms with their very own rest room, and share dwelling areas. The hire charged ranges from $1000 to $1400 per thirty days. India Dwelling subsidizes the associated fee to residents from their very own funds, and in addition offers a weekly cleansing service and shelf-stable groceries.
“Coliving generally is a culturally responsive strategy to help older adults, particularly when formed by the residents themselves,” explains Feng, “It’s simplest when residents assist set the tone and norms of the group, and when cultural traditions are revered. That would embrace elements like language entry, acquainted meals, and caregiving practices that replicate residents’ values and backgrounds.”
Residents go to the senior facilities two days per week, and spend time at residence or exit the remainder of the times. Two of the 4 residents have jobs. Kaboor nonetheless cooks typically, favoring her native dhal and rice, and Ahuja loves spending time within the gardens outdoors. All 4 residents love taking part in card video games collectively. “I like Rummy,” stated Kaboor, “and typically I play it on the heart too.”
Conflicts can happen on the coliving facility, like every other residence.“In our distinctive dwelling state of affairs, we now have encountered obstacles,” shares Rashid, “As an illustration, one senior could also be an early riser, whereas one other prefers to remain up late, resulting in friction over day by day agendas.” Conflicts can even come up from variations in cleansing requirements, noise tolerance, temperature preferences, or private area necessities.
Whereas coliving for seniors could meet the social and cultural wants in some getting old communities, it isn’t appropriate for all. “Co-living could not work effectively for people who extremely worth private management over their atmosphere, battle with compromise, or favor solitude over shared accountability,”stated Feng.
“These with superior cognitive impairment with out acceptable helps like dementia-informed design or caregiving infrastructure, can even pose challenges in co-living settings. That is notably true when mutual participation is predicted.”
India Dwelling coliving facility doesn’t admit seniors who want assisted dwelling amenities, however do use their day facilities to supply psychological well being help. With a predominantly South Asian group, discussions about psychological well being should not typically welcome.
“To sort out this situation, we conduct month-to-month academic classes on psychological well being on the day facilities,” stated Rashid. India Care Dwelling additionally operates an grownup daycare program that serves purchasers within the early to average phases of dementia and Alzheimer’s illness. The companies embrace an on-site social employee who offers direct companies three days per week for seniors, in addition to help teams for his or her caregivers.
Entry to reasonably priced housing for all ages continues to be an issue in New York Metropolis. Whereas there isn’t a different senior dwelling facility in New York corresponding to India Dwelling, there are housing developments in Florida that supply industrial variations of senior coliving. Creating coliving amenities with present properties for older New Yorkers is feasible, however till this and different appropriate choices are broadly obtainable, the NYC Division for the Getting old has packages to assist seniors with housing points. NYC Getting old works with the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit and the Division of Finance to make sure that older certified residents join or renew their Senior Citizen Lease Improve Exemption (SCRIE) Program and the Incapacity Lease Improve Exemption (DRIE) Program.
Seniors susceptible to eviction can get help via the Tenancy and Eviction Assist Providers (TESS). Moreover, there are three suppliers on the Authorized Help for the Aged Program that supply free authorized companies to older adults aged 60 years or older, in all 5 boroughs and in a number of languages. Help can embrace illustration, recommendation, counseling, and/or referrals in housing issues equivalent to landlord/tenant disputes, foreclosures, and utility shut offs.
The place and the way older New Yorkers reside has a huge impact on their total well being, notably psychological well being. In keeping with the San Diego Psychiatric Society, emotions of loneliness are linked to a threat of creating dementia, and different types of cognitive decline. Some research present an elevated threat of 31% for all-cause dementia, and a 15% improve for cognitive impairment. The bidirectional relationship between loneliness, despair and cognitive decline, causes one situation to exacerbate the opposite. All of this will result in an elevated threat for untimely dying. Coliving can lower social isolation and afford extra alternatives to attach with others in nearer proximity.
The reporting for this text was supported by a journalism fellowship from the Gerontological Society of America, Journalists Community on Generations, and Commonwealth Fund.
