Coliving improves Mental Health: Case Study, New Coliving Report, Coliving Connections, New Coliving Projects, Coliving Accelerator Launch (USA), and Everything Else Coliving

[Case Study] Coliving improves mental health of at-risk homeless women, Hong Kong NGO finds

A small study in Hong Kong demonstrates that co-living arrangements can promote healing among individuals. ImpactHK’s year-long co-living pilot for 10 women sleeping rough didn’t just offer a roof; it rebuilt mental health and life skills. By living together in a 600-sq-ft flat, sharing chores, meals and responsibility (one roommate was a programme officer), participants saw PTSD and stress scores more than halve, depression and loneliness fall significantly, and life-satisfaction rise. The model proved simple but radical: autonomy + peer support + everyday routines = measurable recovery. If we want housing to do more than shelter, this is a prototype policymakers should test at scale.

• Sample & setup: 10 formerly homeless women lived together for a year in a co-living arrangement run by ImpactHK, with shared cooking, chores and a programme officer embedded in the household.

• Measurable impact: Post-traumatic stress fell from 21.7 → 10.4; stress dropped 14 → 5.4 (80-point/scale conversions reported by the study). Depression and loneliness also declined substantially.

• Positive gains: Self-compassion rose (31 → 33.8) and life satisfaction jumped (15.3 → 22.4) — small numbers, big directionality.

• What changed: Skills (conflict resolution, daily living), social networks, and a sense of agency — “living is healing,” programme staff say.

• Outcomes: Former residents moved into transitional flats and jobs (one participant now works at the charity’s café).

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[New Coliving Report] Coliving in Singapore: From growth to maturity

A recent JLL report from September 2025 indicates the Singapore co-living market has matured, attracting over S$1.4 billion in investment since 2022, driven by institutional capital and high-net-worth individuals converting existing properties into co-living spaces. The market has seen significant supply growth, with a 17% increase in inventory between 2023 and 2024, and is now attracting a wider range of residents, including local Singaporeans, in addition to its traditional base of expatriates and students.

Key Findings from the Report

• Increased Investment: The sector has attracted over S$1.4 billion in investment between 2022 and 2025, transforming co-living into an institutionalized asset class.

• Property Conversion: Most of these investments involved converting existing properties like hotels, condos, and shophouses into co-living assets.

• Supply Growth: There has been a significant surge in co-living room inventory, with a 17% increase noted between 2023 and 2024.

• Broader Tenant Base: The market’s growth has led to it attracting longer-stay residents, such as local Singaporeans, in addition to its traditional customer base of expatriates and international students.

• Investor Activity: Investors, including private equity firms, institutional capital, and high-net-worth individuals, have been actively involved in the market, with a preference for properties with a certain number of rooms.

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[Interview] The difference between a house and a home lies in the connections between people

Banana Coliving started life as a youth hostel and quietly evolved into a Taipei model for how design + programming can turn a rented room into a real home. In a short interview with Shopping Design, founder Wilbur Yu explains that the magic isn’t fancy finishes — it’s designing circulation, generous common space and everyday rituals so that strangers become roommates, and roommates become family.

• Origin story: began as a hostel (2012) and shifted to co-living experiments from 2016 after discovering local demand.

• Philosophy: “We manage life, not just space” — every resident is called a “roommate” to signal equal participation.

• Design choices: preserved building heritage (old balconies, stained glass), added playful elements (mirrors, irregular walls) to invite interaction.

• Spatial strategy: public areas occupy >50% of floorplate to increase chance encounters and “accidental belonging.”

• Resident mix: professionals, designers, digital nomads and grads — >90% local Taiwanese in recent houses.

• Programming: regular rituals (dinners, barbecues, themed parties) and informal corners for reading, sewing, or quiet time.

• Outcomes: tenants report renewed social life, long-term bonds, returned alumni, and messages like “that was the happiest time of my life.”

• Affordability angle: positioned as a third option between transient hostels and lonely private rentals in an expensive city.

• Caution: Wilbur notes it won’t replace mainstream housing but offers an alternative lifestyle choice for those craving connection.

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[Launch]The 90-Day Coliving Accelerator by Clara Arroyave (USA)

Rents are up. Affordability is down. And investors are realizing that the coliving model doesn’t just solve a social problem; it also delivers stronger returns. The challenge? Most people don’t know how to:

• Find the right markets

• Underwrite quickly and confidently

• Access capital and lender partners

• Source consistent deal flow

That’s why the 90-Day Coliving Deal Accelerator was created. It’s designed for new and experienced investors who want to put their first coliving deal under contract in 90 days; it’s backed by a guarantee. If you are interested, you can sign up below using code MAYANK to get $100 OFF.

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Everything Else Coliving

General Coliving News

• Average age of London co-living tenants tops 30. The average age has risen sharply from 23.9 years in 2017. This trend underscores how younger professionals are prioritising vibrant communities and quality housing, even in premium areas.

• Disconnection by Design: Why ‘Untech’ is the Next Big Amenity. The average Australian spends around 5.5 hours on their phones each day—around 33 percent of their waking hours. So completely unplugging might make some people’s palms sweat. But digital disconnection is a growing health and well-being trend that developers and operators are increasingly taking seriously, particularly in purpose-built sectors.

• The Rise of Co-Living and Tiny Homes: Affordable alternatives for Phoenix’s housing crunch. But as Phoenix’s housing prices continue to rise, more residents are asking whether co-living arrangements and tiny homes offer a viable, more affordable alternative to traditional single-family housing. These models are gaining traction across Arizona, though they also come with challenges in regulation, financing, and community acceptance.

• Coliving is being held back by vague and inconsistent policies. Clear, consistent policy frameworks are needed to increase co-living supply, writes Vicky Fowler, partner at law firm Gowling WLG

• Tiny co-living spaces are popping up across New York. Local communities see them as ‘harbingers of gentrification’. Such properties are a housing alternative for younger people, but longterm residents worry about being priced out of their homes and losing community

• Repopulating rural areas with coliving. Empty homes in the interior of Castellón: opportunities for young and old. At a conference in Geldo, experts will analyze alternative housing models, such as cooperatives or co-living, shared housing, and solutions adapted to seniors.

• Liverpool warms to co-living. The city council plans to take a more nuanced approach to determining applications for co-living developments, having had little truck with the model to date.

Coliving Reports

• Co-living ‘no longer just a stopgap’, say Harris and VervLife. Renters are staying longer in co-living accommodation as acceptance of the industry grows among young professionals, according to new analysis from investment agency Harris Associates and co-living operator VervLife. The pair have published an addendum to their 2023 report on co-living, including new resident data and analysis of planning routes. The new Co-Living Report: Co-living Trends and the Use Class Debate reveals co-living residents are staying in sites longer, with 50% now intending to remain for more than 12 months compared with 35% in the 2023 report.

New Coliving Projects

• A £1 billion JV opens the first coliving scheme. Habito Co-Living, a new coliving brand from student accommodation operator Host, has officially opened its first UK co-living development—Guildford Plaza – in a joint venture with Partner’s Group.

• After Angers , Harvey will roll out its coliving concept in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée). The Bordeaux-based company founded by former judokas David Douillet, David Inquel and Romaric Gaudemer with real estate specialist Miriam Annoni has partnered with Rennes-based Giboire to design a new 8,000 m2 complex in three buildings in the station district. The partners have filed planning permission for delivery in 2029.

• Lionstone and the City of Luxembourg are partnering to develop Urban Haven, a 113-room co-living project in the heart of Gasperich. Located near the train station and tram, the building aims to offer an innovative response to the housing crisis. Completion is expected following construction work starting in November 2025.

• Developer Cardinal has inaugurated Cergy Étoile , an ambitious mixed-use project of nearly 30,000 m² in the heart of Cergy. The project includes a 455-room student residence , a 96-room coliving residence (abrdn investor), a 5,978 m² office building acquired by the Val-d’Oise Department, a 74- unit building with terraces, loggias, and gardens (abrdn investor), a 360 m² restaurant area, and 301 parking spaces.

• Ermita del Santo: Madrid transforms a shopping center into a new neighborhood with housing, rentals, and coliving. Madrid is facing one of the most significant urban development projects in recent years with the transformation of the area surrounding the Ermita del Santo in the Latina district. The City Council has initially approved the bylaws for the establishment of the Compensation Board for Specific Planning Area 10.24, a preliminary step toward the development of the land, which will begin in 2026.

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We hope you enjoyed this edition and wish you a great weekend ahead. Reply us with your thoughts on what more you want to read and if you have any feedback.

Mayank & Everything Coliving Team

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