Under a state mandate, the Auburn City Council this month opened the way to a lesser known form of housing called “co-living” to increase the availability of affordable housing and different housing types, and to bring the city into conformity with recent state law.
Co-living housing is a denser housing technology similar to studio apartments, comprised of sleeping units where kitchen facilities and bathrooms, too, are shared in common with other residents, according to Auburn planner Owen Goode.
“This will allow the new use to be permissible in the downtown urban center, residential moderate, residential high, mixed-use, heavy commercial and light industrial zones,” said Goode, noting that the new type of housing could be buildings converted to allow for residential units…