Shared Housing Roommate Spotlight: Peggy & Margarita

We all remember the beloved Golden Girls: Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia laughing their way through the ups and downs of their golden years.  If you catch a late-night rerun you’ll hear the ladies discuss why they decided to live together: to avoid being alone and to share the expenses associated with having a nice home.  Today, this same script is playing out in communities across Los Angeles.

Margarita and Peggy were introduced by the nonprofit organization, Affordable Living for the Aging (ALA). Founded in 1978, ALA interviews participants and provides the necessary support for matching seniors together to share homes.

Margarita raised her family in Los Angeles and enjoyed the bustling household she created with her husband.  When he passed away in 2009 she traveled for a short time but soon returned home to a quiet, empty house.

As a retired school teacher, Peggy wanted to share a home to make living in LA more affordable.  ALA introduced Peggy to Margarita.

Both roommates say they were immediately comfortable with one another.  The ladies used a written agreement to establish the terms of their roommate relationship such as shared cupboard space and how they will pay the utility bill.  Together, they live in Margarita’s home of 42 years. Peggy, who loves animals, has become Aunt Peggy when she pet sits for Margarita’s daughter’s two dogs.  She also looks after the house when Margarita travels – giving Margarita peace of mind.

As a staff member at the Westchester Playa Village, Margarita recruited Peggy to volunteer for their annual health fair.  Peggy begins her second volunteer assignment next week when she will pay a friendly visit to a Village member in need.  Peggy and Margarita have enriched one another’s lives in measurable ways.