As rent rises faster than income, shared-living arrangements are on the up

From the July issue: In the bedroom that Andrew Kim shares with his girlfriend, Michelle, and their pug, Emilio, there is a 60-inch TV mounted on the wall, a vanity for Michelle and an automatic feeder for the pup. “It’s a tight space,” said Kim.

The couple, both in their late 20s and employed in creative industries, recently moved from a one-bedroom apartment into a three-bedroom in Ridgewood, Queens. But rather than move so they could have more space, they took on two roommates.

“We decided to move because we wanted to pay less in rent,” Kim said. “So we asked two of our friends to move in with us.”