Flexible, communal and connected: changing trends in the housing sector

Between housing shortages and changing lifestyles

A challenging economic climate for the housing sector

The health pandemic that struck in 2020-2021, the war in Ukraine in 2022, and the sharp rise in material and energy costs wrought havoc with Europe’s construction and real estate industry, and even today the market continues to feel the knock-on effects from this wave of crises. The number of new builds has plummeted, so finding a home has become an increasingly challenging and expensive exercise, regardless of whether people are looking to buy or rent. Even job mobility has taken a hit. 
According to a study by Indeed and OpinionWay in 2024², 83% of French people claimed that if they were interested in a job vacancy, they would not bother applying if that job meant moving to a different region due to the problem of finding a new home.

Housing methods that keep pace with changing lifestyles

Homeworkers such as entrepreneurs may enjoy their independence, but sometimes they look for a place to work that will bring them into contact with other people. Coworking spaces are a prime example, since they allow workers to build social ties without losing any of their independence. This is where the coliving model has drawn its inspiration. Coliving is already well established in English-speaking and Asian countries, but it is still in the teething stages in France with only 14,500 bedrooms occupied in 2023. But growth in the market is soaring (+70% in the space of two years)³.

Coliving gives people a greater sense of freedom in their career choices, which explains why it is especially suited to people in mobile jobs or those who choose to frequently change company to further their career.

In addition to work, the traditional nuclear family (two parents with their children) is declining, whereas so-called “complex” households are on the rise. Half of these households do not have a family unit. In other words, there are no marital ties or parent-child relationships between the adults living in the same household⁴. Coliving can also be used as a stepping stone while navigating a life change (such as someone going through a divorce), irrespective of their age. Whether residents are single or otherwise, collective housing promises to strike a balance between their independence and community life.

With investments in the sector totalling €430m in 2023⁵, the coliving market appears to be an equally enticing prospect for investors.  

Coliving, joint tenancies, student and multigenerational housing... how does it work?  

Do not confuse coliving with joint tenancies

Coliving and joint tenancies should not be put in the same category. Joint tenancies are an arrangement where several people share a property and split the rent equally between them, which allows them (through the economies of scale) to live in a larger apartment or house than if they had each rented their own property. Sharing a rented property or lodging with a homeowner can actually be traced back to the 17^th century⁶, but the modern-day version of the joint tenancy model spread widely around the world in the 1980s / 1990s.

Coliving also gives individuals chance to live in a larger property with more affordable rental payments. But unlike a joint tenancy, coliving includes a range of optional or mandatory services and amenities in addition to the property’s communal areas, such as a gym, coworking space, garden or terrace, broadband Internet and housekeeping, to name but a few. Coliving properties tend to be tastefully decorated and furnished, so they are a lot more than just a roof over the head. They provide an attractive lifestyle with a sense of community for their tenants⁷. Coliving is often more expensive than a joint tenancy. Tenants need to take account of the management fees and the cost of the services and amenities, which are not always optional⁸.

Tred-and-tested coliving examples

Muir Commons, a coliving trailblazer, is a cohousing development based in Davis, California (United States). Built in the 1990s, the community contains 26 independent houses ranging from 75 to 128 sq. metres on a communal plot of land. The common areas are located in the middle of the development and feature shared gardens, a henhouse, a communal building with a large kitchen, a dining room, a lounge, a recreation room, a gym, and a laundry room. Other shared facilities include a woodworking shop, parking areas, bicycle sheds and a hot tub. Meals are regularly organised between residents, as well as events and parties⁹. On a larger scale and featuring a more urban style, The Collective Old Oak¹⁰ in London comprises no less than 323 residential units and 551 individual bedrooms! In Tenerife (Spain), the Cohousing El Principio¹¹ project welcomes both families with children and independent senior citizens within the same community. This model encourages the different generations to support and help one another.

In France, VINCI Immobilier developed the first "Bikube" residential complexes (meaning “beehive” in Danish) in Lyon in 2024 and Montpellier in 2025 for working people between the ages of 25 and 40.

The special case of student accomodation

The shortage of dedicated student housing is only too real. In 2023, only 7% of students were living in a residence run by the student support service and 4% in another hall of residence. Furthermore, 25% of students were renting alone, while 11% had student tenancies or were living in sublet rooms. 33% were still living at home with their parents, though not necessarily through choice, despite the long times spent travelling to and from university. Finally, 20% claimed to have “another” type of housing, which could potentially be supported housing or makeshift accommodation. Despite a lack of accurate figures, it is known that some students abandon their studies after failing to find somewhere to live¹².

Some students decide to home share. This arrangement, which is still relatively unknown, allows a student to rent a bedroom in the home of an older person aged 60 or over. In addition to paying rent, the student may also be required under the contract to provide occasional support to the homeowner. This scheme, which is governed in France by the Elan Act of 2018 on new practices in housing, town planning and digital technologies, enables young people to find affordable accommodation while helping tackle loneliness among senior citizens¹³.

VINCI Immobilier offers students another option through its Student Factory concept¹⁴. Featuring a selection of individual spaces ranging from studios to three-room apartments, Student Factory residences allow students to share communal areas, as well as services (Wi-Fi, bicycle storage, coworking space and concentration bubbles, cafeteria, laundry kit, housekeeping, grocery, etc.), and therefore experience student life to the full.

Seniors citizens: stay at home or change lifestyle?  

According to Insee, the French national office for statistics, very few people live in a senior residence before the age of 85. The decision to leave their home concerns 5% of 80 to 84-year-olds, 12% of 85 to 89-year-olds, 25% of 90 to 94-year-olds, and 41% of the over-95s. It has also been seen that fewer and fewer elderly people are moving in with their family (10% of people aged 95 and over). Insee has also reported that older people living in rural areas are more likely to move into a senior residence than those living in Paris, where 55% live on their own (vs 42% for senior citizens in rural areas)¹⁵.

Senior residences can provide older people with a solution for combatting loneliness and living with fewer constraints, with access to more services than if they were still in an individual home. VINCI Immobilier offers Ovelia residences for independent senior citizens wishing to live in their own private apartment, while taking advantage of the many communal facilities, such as a restaurant, swimming pool, spa and hair salon. Cultural outings and events are also organised, with each resident free to take part according to their centres of interest and budget.

Changes in the family structure, workers’ mobility and lifestyles are clearly inspiring new housing concepts. While modern life may lead to a sense of isolation, some housing solutions are helping create stronger social ties.

Sources :

¹ Institut Paris Région: “The surge in coliving among young Parisians: a desire for communal living or a symptom of the housing crisis?” – https://www.institutparisregion.fr/nos-travaux/publications/lessor-du-coliving-pour-les-jeunes-franciliens-ideal-communautaire-ou-symptome-de-la-crise-du-logement/ 

² RH Matin : “Job mobility: why French workers are hesitating” – https://www.rhmatin.com/qvt/motivation-engagement/mobilite-professionnelle-pourquoi-les-actifs-francais-hesitent.html  

³ Institut Paris Région: “The surge in coliving among young Parisians: a desire for communal living or a symptom of the housing crisis?” – https://www.institutparisregion.fr/nos-travaux/publications/lessor-du-coliving-pour-les-jeunes-franciliens-ideal-communautaire-ou-symptome-de-la-crise-du-logement/  

⁴ Insee : “In Greater Paris, joint tenancies have been rising sharply for 30 years among young people”  https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8286890  

⁵ Journal de l’Agence : “Coliving: an innovative and sustainable solution to the housing crisis” – https://www.journaldelagence.com/1405115-le-coliving-une-reponse-innovante-et-durable-a-la-crise-du-logement 

⁶ Cooloc : “Joint tenancies: an age-old concept” – https://blog.cooloc.com/vie-quotidienne/temoignages/la-co-location-un-concept-vieux-comme-le-monde/  

⁷ Mon Cercle Immo : “Coliving profitability: increasingly promising figures” – https://www.moncercleimmo.com/blog-articles/rentabilite-coliving  

⁸ Institut Paris Région: “The surge in coliving among young Parisians: a desire for communal living or a symptom of the housing crisis?”  – https://www.institutparisregion.fr/nos-travaux/publications/lessor-du-coliving-pour-les-jeunes-franciliens-ideal-communautaire-ou-symptome-de-la-crise-du-logement/  

⁹ https://www.cohousing.org/directory/muir-commons-2/  

¹⁰ https://www.ttalinea.com/project/the-collective-old-oak/  

¹¹ https://www.cohousingelprincipio.es/en/el-principio-cohousing-cooperative-in-tenerife-canary-islands/  

¹² Le Figaro étudiant : “Student accommodation: 91% of students living with their parents believe that the situation influences their academic success” – https://etudiant.lefigaro.fr/article/vie-etudiante/logement-etudiant-le-parc-dedie-au-logement-etudiant-ne-represente-que-11-des-solutions-d-hebergement-20250717/  

¹³ INC : “Home sharing: bringing generations together within the same home!” – https://www.inc-conso.fr/content/cohabitation-intergenerationnelle-solidaire-la-rencontre-des-generations-au-sein-dun  

¹⁴ https://www.vinci-immobilier.com/choisir-vinci/vinci-et-vous/student-factory  

¹⁵ Insee : “In 2021, one out of three people aged 65 or over lived alone in their home” – https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/8349408#tableau-figure3_radio1