Up to 14 people can share a home with the new sleeping-pods design.
Rents are on the rise in Palo Alto and Bakersfield, California, where the first two sites are.
The homes are fully furnished with a common workspace, shared kitchens, and two bathrooms.
As rents and home prices soar to new heights, one California co-living startup is offering a novel sleeping-pod design to fit more residents into a single-family house.
The first location of Brownstone Shared Housing is close to the University of Palo Alto and houses 14, while the second location is in central Bakersfield.
Brownstone co-founding CEO James Stallworth told Insider that they started with how can we house as many people as possible in an existing space in a way that preserves dignity and comfort.
Both houses have a shared kitchen and bathroom, as well as two living spaces and a co-working space.
The fully equipped sleeping Pods that the company says are 40% larger than a traditional bunk bed are what makes the concept different.
The structure is built by a custom steel manufacturer before the wood and electrical components are added.
The quarters are larger than those found in some Japanese hotels and include power outlets, fold-down desks, lighting, and fans.
Palo Alto's broad acceptance of multiple roommate scenarios made the city a good proving ground for the company.
The cost of a Pod is less than half the rent of a studio apartment in Palo Alto. The median sale price for single- family homes was $4 million in March.
The house in Palo Alto has one open position and he is currently screening applicants to fill it. Existing residents are often consulted about which candidates they prefer to join the house, and not all who apply are automatically accepted.
A years-long housing shortage that has seen vacancies below 1% has made the newer Bakersfield house halfway full.
It's honestly just regular people who work and just need a place to live, and that's what the Bakersfield residents were expected to be.
It is hard to find a place for that, and we are filling that need.
The original article is on Business Insider.
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