Shared Housing

Topics

Housing and Communities

Overview

The nation faces dual crises of homelessness, driven by high-rent markets, and rising loneliness. High and rising rents mean that households suffering destabilizing life events are vulnerable to housing instability, especially if they lack social connections and safety net support. Shared housing is a pragmatic approach that can combat social isolation and homelessness nationwide. Shared housing is when two or more unrelated people live together and share a common space in temporary or permanent housing, which is a normal practice in private housing but not in the housing assistance world.

To build evidence on a promising strategy for reducing homelessness, MDRC, in partnership with Jamie Taylor of the Shared Housing Institute, is conducting a 12-month, multisite outcomes and implementation study of shared housing. The study will capture housing stability and social connection outcomes, describe different implementation approaches to shared housing, and highlight staff and participant stories and perspectives on shared housing. 

Agenda, Scope, and Goals

The study seeks to address the following research questions:

  • What are the essential components of a strong shared housing model?
     
  • What systems and structures need to be in place to deploy a strong shared housing option in public or community-based organizations that provide housing assistance?
     
  • What proportion of people placed into shared housing are in stable housing a year later?
     
  • What proportion experience increased social connectedness a year later?
     
  • How do housing stability and social connectedness outcomes differ by service population and variations in shared housing approaches? How might certain participant characteristics, contextual factors, and program supports moderate these outcomes?
     
  • What are some common profiles and trajectories of shared housing residents through the continuum of care and other social service systems over 12 months?

Design, Sites, and Data Sources

The evaluation includes outcomes and implementation analyses. The outcomes analyses will capture housing status and social connectedness outcomes over 12 months, drawing on Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data and survey data. Through interviews with staff and residents of shared housing, the implementation analyses will describe different approaches to shared housing and highlight staff and participant stories and perspectives​.

Throughout the study, the research team will engage with an advisory group composed of housing program staff and residents in shared housing, drawing on their lived experiences for guidance in shaping study activities and reflecting on study findings. This approach aims to conduct culturally responsive research that prioritizes the perspectives, concerns, needs, and agency of people who have experienced homelessness or housing instability.

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