New York Times Unveils "Groundbreaking" Solution To Housing Crisis

Next up: The Times reveals water is wet!

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• September 9, 2023

Recently, a Reddit user took to the Facepalm subreddit to share an article from the New York Times that's sparking both humor and conversation. Titled "The Solution To The Housing Crisis? Living With Strangers," the piece suggests an age-old solution to the mounting cost of housing: getting a roommate.

The hilarity ensues not from the solution itself but from the author's presentation—as if the concept of sharing living quarters with someone to reduce costs is a groundbreaking discovery.

The concept of a roommate isn't novel. People have been cohabiting for financial, social, and personal reasons for decades.

Sharing space to alleviate costs is a well-treaded territory from university dormitories to shared apartments in urban centers to the communal living of previous generations. In fact, most of you reading this might have shared an apartment with one or two strangers in your school days, or maybe you're sharing one right now.

Yet, the tone of the article paints a picture of a "eureka" moment. Thus making readers wonder if the article is a tongue-in-cheek look at the housing situation or if the author is genuinely unaware of the popularity of roommates.

For many, the rise in housing costs is no laughing matter. However, in presenting such a familiar solution as groundbreaking, the article inadvertently highlights a disconnect.

Are we, as a society, so lost in the hustle and bustle that we've forgotten the simplicity of shared living? Or is this piece a subtle reminder that sometimes the answers to our pressing problems lie in looking to the past?

Let’s dig into the details

Living With Strangers

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

Why is everyone having that look?

Maybe the author should consider doing a piece on how to curb price hikes in the housing industry

“A city in Kansas voted unanimously to ban roommates.” — You can’t rent with another person(s) unless you people are related

“The more people who are living in the same home, the greater the odds of them becoming toxic to each other.”

Strangers have been living together in shared apartments for a long time

“In UK people aren't event considering renting on their own unless with a partner.”

It seems the author has just discovered what a roommate is

With the rising cost of housing, this Redditor has opted for a very interesting approach

MTV made a whole show about this

The piece by the New York Times certainly triggered some interesting reactions from the Reddit community. The author must have thought they discovered something new, but commenters were on hand to remind them that “roommates” have existed for a long time.

One Redditor also pointed out that it would have been ideal for the author to challenge the high cost of housing rather than tell people to gather more strangers to share the cost.

It was also interesting to know that some individuals are opposed to the idea of strangers living together, which explains their efforts to get it banned entirely. From their point of view, only relatives should rent together.

We’d love to get your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments below.

Jesse