You could say Sindy Bregman and Allison Young are modern day golden girls. Just like Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia from the hit show The Golden Girls, Bregman and Young live together, all while experiencing life in their golden years.
As of three months ago, Bregman and Young was perfect strangers. Bregman had recently lost a partner, and Young’s apartment building was being torn down.
“So then I thought, well, I’ll go back to what I was doing in college when I was a young, starving actress, and thought well, I’ll get a roommate!” Young says.
For Bregman, it was her first time ever pursuing a roommate.
But it made perfect sense. Not only did a roommate help financially and emotionally, it also helped with safety, says Bregman.
Having a roommate also provided companionship.
According to AARP, one-third of Americans over the age of 45 say they're lonely. That’s why non-profits like Senior Homeshares--where the two friends found each other--are growing.
"What you do is you sign up either as a home seeker or homeowner, [and] you fill out a profile,” explains Stephanie Heacox, creator of SeniorHomeshares.org.
Heacox says the process is similar to filling out a dating profile. Users list their preferences, including what they’re looking for in a housemate.
Bregman’s profile stated she was "neat, clean and responsible" and looking for the same to share her apartment.
“The first person I pulled up was Sindy, and her introduction was just perfect for me,” recalls Young.
The new friends and roommates are also fans of The Golden Girls, with Young calling herself a Blanche.
“I think I’m more like a Dorothy,” replies Bregman.
However, the pair says there’s another sitcom that may be even more appropriate to describe them.
"Even though we might be a little bit like The Odd Couple,” Bregman says, laughing. “Like yanno, Oscar and Felix. We make it work."
