a 1970s-era commune in Summertown, Tenn., Holzapfel lived under the same roof with multiple couples and more than a dozen children in a five-bedroom house where everything from the laundry room to meals were shared.The Farm is no longer a commune, although the land is still owned collectively by its residents. Yet
“We’ve had a really delightful time with almost everyone that’s come through here,” says Holzapfel, adding some of their youngest housemates have become like grandchildren. “Each older couple can strike the right balance of who they want to have around. Everyone can find what works for them.”Intergenerational living was once common in American cities. Everyone from families of modest means to the upper-class rented out rooms or entire floors. These boardinghouses served.
Typically, she has an older housemate and a younger one, a graduate student from nearby Boston College placed by the school’s housing office. Each person has their own bedroom and private bathroom, and the trio share a kitchen and common space, occasional meals or even road trips. “All have been great people,” she adds.Like Nancy, some over the age of 65 now live with unrelated housemates or roommates, according to estimates based on 2022 U.S. census data by Molinsky.
But after enduring California’s brutal housing market for more than a decade, she and her husband decided they needed to make a change. With one child, and another on the way, they moved to Tennessee where her husband grew up.