The Digital Press

Single-room occupancy (SRO) housing once provided affordable homes for many low-income Americans but was systematically reduced by policies from the 1950s onward, contributing to today's homelessness crisis. Renewed interest in SROs and converting vacant office space into micro-units aims to expand low-cost housing options and combat rising homelessness.

Why it matters: The loss of millions of SRO units correlates strongly with surging homelessness as affordable housing options vanished nationwide.

The big picture: States are now passing laws to legalize and encourage SRO-style housing to increase low-cost supply and reduce housing insecurity.

Stunning stat: If SROs had kept pace with housing growth since 1960, 2.5 million more low-cost units would exist—more than triple the homeless population.

Commenters say: Readers appreciate the renewed focus on affordable shared housing but raise concerns about tenant diversity, management challenges, and potential stigma or segregation from clustered SRO developments.