Joseph

Joseph lives in Las Vegas to be near his children. A disabled veteran, he earns an income from the government for his military service, and he also works as a small business consultant for startups. As a widower and a senior, Joseph, who is 67, hasn’t wanted to live alone or take care of a home all by himself, so he was living with a roommate in a two-bedroom apartment, when the property manager raised their rent by $800.

“Sadly, this is happening all over Las Vegas,” said Joseph. “With our warm climate and a big tourism industry, we have many seniors who live here on fixed incomes. As more people relocate here from more expensive cities, it’s driving up rent costs beyond what anyone can afford, even those with decent incomes.”

Neither Joseph or his roommate wanted to pay the egregiously increased rent so he decided to seek other, more affordable options. He found that PadSplit had just launched in the Vegas market and filled out an application, but had to wait for a few weeks to move-in with demand being so high for the company’s co-living spaces.

“So far, my only complaint with PadSplit is they don’t have enough inventory for all the people who need it,” said Joseph. 

Co-living provides a sense of community

Joseph moved into his home with the help of his son. He said he likes having a single-family house to come home to, and he loves the fact that it’s located in a quiet and peaceful neighborhood, away from the strip.

While moving in, Joseph said that two of his new PadMates sought him out immediately to introduce themselves and give him a lay of the land. This was very welcoming for Joseph and put his son at ease, since neither was completely sure what shared housing would be like.

“I really appreciated the fact that they proactively found me and welcomed me into the home,” said Joseph. “They didn’t have to do that, but it’s nice to know your roommates. Since moving into the home, I regularly speak with four of my PadMates and we all look out for each other. I’m definitely the oldest one here, and sometimes I feel like they come and seek out some of my wisdom.”

The other roommates work odd hours, so he rarely sees them.

On one occasion, Joseph was especially grateful that a roommate helped him to connect his new smart TV to the internet. “He told me he could help, and was very respectful by asking permission to enter my room. We got it set up a few minutes after that.”

According to Joseph, there just aren’t many options for older adults who are looking for roommates to save on costs and also create a sense of community. “It’s different for younger folks, and probably easier for them to find roommates on their own.”

As for sharing a house, Joseph says it’s quite similar to living in military barracks, where everyone shares common areas, and it also reminded him of when he was in his college fraternity house. “We’ve all lived in co-housing situations at some point, and it’s a great way to get to know people, whether you’re in your twenties or in your sixties.”

PadSplit is a comfortable, affordable alternative to traditional housing

Joseph is also a big fan of PadSplit’s all-inclusive weekly billing, stating that it helps him to budget far more easily than having to pay one large lump sum at the end of the month. He’s been able to use his savings to pay off other bills, and he also says that he can time out his consulting work more easily knowing he only has to pay weekly.

And, because Joseph doesn’t drive, he appreciates that the bus stop is only a quarter of a mile away. This helps him to get out and about, connect better with the neighborhood and stay active.

He doesn’t see himself purchasing a home in the future because he just doesn’t believe he needs it, being by himself and not wanting to deal with all the problems of homeownership. 

“Even though I could get a VA mortgage with no down payment, I wouldn’t want to live by myself. Living in a PadSplit is a great alternative, and I believe this model is the future for many people who want a comfortable and affordable place to live.”

Welcome to PadSplit Las Vegas, Joseph! We’re working to add more inventory into this market, but we encourage everyone to go ahead and fill out an application.