Melissa moved into a share house in her 50s. More people are doing the same
After separating from her long-term partner, Curran, 55, found herself looking for solo rental accommodation. What she found were tiny options that would gobble up around 60 per cent of her income.
'I was looking at some studio apartments, and they were so expensive, but also so small that they really felt like little prison cells, actually,' said the Sydney-based primary school learning support officer.
This prompted Curran, who has three adult children and has always rented, to investigate the idea of share housing. She could live in a larger home and be able to stay in her community, she thought, and would be able to stave off the loneliness she felt when temporarily living by herself in a studio apartment following her separation.
While the plan surprised her family and friends, Curran said they were supportive. 'I just don't think it had occurred to a lot of people that it's something an older person might choose to do,' she said.
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In the last election campaign, housing was a cornerstone issue and the government has set a national target of building 1.2 million well-located new homes over five years. But building enough housing is a big project and people such as Curran are left to find their own solutions.
For Curran, hers was a large terrace near Sydney's inner west which she shares with three others, all women of varying ages. She has her own big bedroom, study and garden access. Her children visit for meals, and the household shares chores and communicates via a WhatsApp group.
'Really, it's not all that different to anybody's house,' she said of the home she moved into in November.
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