Sharing Space

Ever since December 2017, I have not lived alone. Apartment prices were rising, my cat had died, and I had quit a job to start working on racial justice efforts, only to realize who was specifically designated to be paid for work, while I was not. I have had a number of uncomfortable living situations–three of which I have needed to escape–but regardless, I still believe that people should begin to adjust to living communally, and that it is better than living alone. Why? Because the premise of living alone is one of the main reasons why people have been internalized to see themselves as failures, and are no longer able to connect.

Living alone is part of the “rugged individualism” that has been preached and propagandized ever since the United States was recognized as a nation. Mainly, this fantasy implies that people came to this continent, worked completely by themselves, and created self-sustaining communities. This obviously glosses over the slavery, genocide, and indentured servitude that it took to create this empire. Furthermore, it demonstrates entitlement to autonomy over all of one’s experiences while existing. Growing food in an unfamiliar climate, domestic and manual labor, and construction were three of the many things that were not done by the migrants to this continent. Therefore, it is unreasonable to expect that one can live alone without a lot of disposable income to cover those “hidden costs,” which are visible if all labor is relevant.

As a corollary, it is offensive to belittle those who lack complete autonomy over their lives, especially if they lack it because of collective behavior. Jobs, bid contracts, and bank accounts all require people to have addresses. Making everyone either a) have their own household, b) stay in relationship with someone else to have a household, or c) be under government control to have a household means that nobody really has the capacity to change their lives without more money. Most people lack the money to live alone; it is not a sign of economic intelligence, just luck. After all, the United States runs on migrant labor, but when migrants follow through on corporate recruitment, they either have to have a bunch of money, or live in communal housing that could be in terrible condition. Because of this, United States citizens regard migrants with contempt even as the nation falls apart without them.

Additionally, environmental concerns mean that mindless construction is the last thing anyone needs to address a housing shortage. However, communal housing does not make developers rich, which is why it is incredibly difficult to form housing cooperatives, especially when real estate developers fund almost all politicians. The myth that “building more creates affordable housing” has been disproven by both the luxury market and the short-term rental market; if true, housing would have come down long before now. It is unrealistic to expect everyone to live alone, fill up a space with consumption, and somehow be able to manage all of the socioecosystem without total destruction. Lifestyle changes mean that being a materialist will have to be viewed with contempt.

Communal living experiences can also last longer than individual living experiences. For example, in one the spaces I lived, there were two residents who had lived there for almost five years, and only one of them had a full-time position and rented out his own property somewhere else. The other household had people coming and going on a regular basis, and only when the final occupant demonstrated unrelenting defiance towards any communalism did the household finally fall apart. Other than that, there are several long-lasting housing cooperatives that have only changed residents over decades. Individual family housing can outlast generations, but it is more difficult than when multiple families claim ownership.

In short, individual households are the reason why humanity is destroying life on the planet for all living beings. Sharing space is already a prerequisite to living on the planet, so it is delusional to believe that everyone has the right to have a complete house with all accoutrements. Change is inevitable, and if someone from relative socioeconomic security can learn to live communally, I am unwilling to hear the excuses of everyone else. “What will I do if I never have my own home?” Something else.