All posts
Social Isolation· 6 min read

Loneliness Is a Housing Problem

The U.S. Surgeon General calls loneliness a public health crisis. Much of it is designed into how we build. Housing that puts connection at the center can change that.

When the Surgeon General named loneliness a public health crisis, the conversation focused on phones, remote work, and shrinking friend groups. Housing rarely came up. It should have.

The default American housing pattern — isolated units, minimal common space, cars between everything — makes casual, daily interaction with neighbors surprisingly rare. Connection has to be scheduled instead of stumbled into.

Co-living reverses that. Shared kitchens, common living rooms, and intentional community rituals mean the smallest unit of belonging — a familiar face at the coffee maker in the morning — is built into the day.

Ending social isolation is one of our three founding causes. It is also, quietly, one of the most important housing outcomes we measure.