Roommate Locator has now been online for three years. Our listings come from all over the world as well as from all types of people. In 1971 Webster’s defined the word “roommate” in the following fashion. “One or two people who occupy the same room.” Today a roommate is usually all or at least one of the following:

1. Someone who shares the same house or apartment.
2. A friend with whom you live.
3. A co-renter
4. A housemate

The reason for sharing your home with a non-family member varies from one situation to another. The most obvious being to share household expenses. The second most cited reason appears to be the need for companionship and simply not wanting to live alone. Many college graduates who are moving from one part of the country to another for a new job fall into this category. Living with a roommate has much more appeal than taking a long term lease for an apartment in a strange city alone. Many opt for renting a room for a period of time to familiarize themselves with the area as well as to make new friends. Moving far from home can be more palatable if you can be assured of having at least one acquaintance or friend outside of the job.

Then there are those who travel a great deal and do not want to leave behind a vacant house for extended lengths of time. A built-in pet sitter is nice as well.

Another frequent reason is that of single parents wanting to find a “like” situation. Child care expenses can become less of a chore if there is another adult at home to help out.

Sometimes special community situations can result in “empty nesters” opening up their doors to students and interns in their area. On June 2, 2001 The Washington Post published an article concerning the housing needs of the summer interns who flock to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for the summer. These students have limited financial resources, and therefore few housing options. NIH has been successful in soliciting host families for many of the interns. Some of the homeowners have been providing summer housing for years to the interns. Yes, the homeowner does benefit financially, but most look forward to the opportunity to learn from their visitors as well.

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