Aging boomers in Central Texas are seeking out Golden Girl-style living arrangements as the number of seniors and the cost of living soars, reports New America Media.
The aging-and-cost conditions could make the 1980s TV show The Golden Girls‘ shared living arrangement a template for senior housing in Texas cities like Austin, says the article.
New America Media profiles Helene Frager, a 77-year-old who lives around 20 miles outside of Austin who’s worried about housing—but like the idea of living like Golden Girl characters Blanche, Sophia, Dorothy, and Rose.
“I always had this fear of growing old and alone. When I used to watch the program, The Golden Girls, I said, ‘Hey, they’re not too bad! They have companionship, they have each other, they can talk about things,” she told the radio station.
Around the country, there are nonprofit organizations that match seniors for co-housing, including Family Eldercare in Central Texas.
Climbing rents in Austin is driving seniors far outside the city, Joyce Hefner, Family Eldercare’s director of housing and community services, told New America Media.
“Unfortunately, support services such as transportation and easier access to health care, etcetera, are not out there,” she said. “So they’re having to choose … between giving up services and support in order to find affordable housing.”
But senior co-housing—for which demand is expected to grow—is “one option that will allow them to find affordable ways to live,” according to Hefner.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
