Co-living: where tenants rent a small room in a larger apartment or home and share common ares such as kitchens and living rooms is a concept slowly coming to reality in high-priced areas such as San Francisco, San Jose, and New York City.

The idea first surfaced about ten years ago and often featured developers retrofitting older buildings resulting in private rooms which were very small. The current movement is towards larger private spaces.

Developers are convinced that making urban living affordable in cities such as San Francisco or San Jose are what makes the concept viable. Analysts predict that reenters may be able to get co-living space in the Bay Area for $1,600 to $3,100 per month, considerably cheaper than the rent on a studio apartment.