Its title has the cachet of a stylish Brooklyn house, however Brownstone Shared Housing has introduced a brand new housing idea that’s inexpensive, albeit small, to Palo Alto.
The shared housing firm is renting “sleeping pods” at $800 a month, the place folks sleep in a chamber inside a room that could be a bit wider than a twin mattress however greater than tall sufficient to sit down up in. Residents share the kitchen and different dwelling areas, in accordance with the corporate’s web site.
The concept is to make housing within the Bay Space inexpensive. There’s simply month-to-month lease, with no huge deposit and first and last-month’s lease. Would-be residents simply want to use on-line. Utilities and high-speed web are included.
The fledgling firm gives two properties: a midcentury house within the Midtown neighborhood and a house in Bakersfield. The Palo Alto house gives on-site laundry, out of doors area, month-to-month cleansing and vivid, open trendy areas.
The Palo Alto house can accommodate 14 folks. The pods, which appear to be brightly lit stackable storage cubes, are organized bunk-bed model in two tales. They’ve their very own temperature management and air circulation, electrical outlet shelf area and a rack for hanging garments.
“They’ve 40% more room than bunk beds,” the corporate boasts on its web site.
Firm founders Christina Lennox and James Stallworth initially wished to start out their enterprise in Brooklyn, New York, however points about shared housing prevented that from taking place, Stallworth stated in a Medium blog post. In late August, they began the idea in Palo Alto with the purpose of offering inexpensive housing in one of many hottest and least inexpensive housing markets within the nation. They replied to a Craigslist advert for a house rental and the owner preferred the idea, Lennox stated. The renters are of their 20s and 30s who’re principally interns at native firms akin to Tesla and Telefèric Barcelona, and visiting researchers/college students at Stanford.
“We’ve got had residents from 15 international locations. It’s actually cool that whereas simply strolling by way of the home you’ll be able to hear a number of languages like Spanish and German being spoken,” Lennox stated.
“Everybody who stays with us has beloved the expertise. They discover an prompt neighborhood right here,” she stated. “Individuals have commented on how well-designed the home is as a result of we actually furnished and deliberate it out to accommodate everybody. One thing we get loads is that the pods are a lot larger than they thought when simply trying on the images.”
Parking has not been a difficulty, Lennox claimed.
“The wonderful thing about being positioned in Palo Alto is that everybody bikes to work and faculty. We’ve got area for 14 bikes neatly within the yard. It is enjoyable to look at folks transfer in and purchase a used bike at a neighborhood store as a substitute of taking fossil-fuel-powered transportation from lengthy distances,” she stated.
Stallworth, firm CEO, is a Stanford College graduate with a bachelor’s diploma in science, expertise and society. He’s a former California state auditor. Lennox, the chief working officer, was an exterior state auditor who graduated from Arizona State College with a level in criminology.
Lennox stated the housing downside is deeply private for her and Stallworth.
“Each James and I got here up with variations of this idea earlier than we met working collectively on the California State Auditor’s workplace in Sacramento. I got here to California from Arizona to finish a management faculty that offered housing by way of a community of individuals locally who opened up rooms of their properties to college students.
“After I graduated, the house opener informed me she wanted the room for her grandson and gave me a tough deadline to maneuver out. I couldn’t discover a place, and regarded dwelling in my automobile or renting a storage shed earlier than fortunately discovering mates I might transfer in with. That is once I began occupied with how there needs to be a method to cut up prices and be capable of transfer in someplace versatile for just a few months on quick discover with out having to pay 1000’s of {dollars} upfront for safety deposit and lease,” she stated.
Stallworth additionally went by way of his personal housing insecurity whereas ending up at Stanford. He all the time deliberate on beginning an organization to resolve the issue for others when the time was proper.
When Lennox and Stallworth met, they knew they labored nicely collectively, had a ardour for housing folks, and had complementary expertise, she stated.
“Our place is that that is no completely different than any group of individuals coming collectively to lease a house, and we’re not conscious of any restrict on the variety of folks that may reside in shared housing. For many years Stanford college students and others have been coming collectively to lease properties in Palo Alto with out concern. The one change right here is the furnishings we use — our pods — to accommodate extra folks in the home in an interesting and cozy method,” she stated.
Lennox stated the corporate desires to supply the service wherever it’s wanted.
“We had a supervisor at a neighborhood enterprise attain out, earlier than all the information tales, asking us to allow them to know once we open extra properties within the space as a result of they’ve a tough time getting folks to work for them as they open new areas. She stated it’s unimaginable for folks on entry-level wages to discover a place to reside close by. So sure, we might like to open extra locations in Palo Alto and the Bay Space,” she stated.
The corporate additionally nonetheless plans to launch in New York, given the acute want for versatile low-cost housing there.
“We’re nonetheless in contact with folks from New York who ask on a regular basis once we will get began there since it might be a significant enchancment over their present dwelling conditions,” she stated.
Meghan Horrigan-Taylor, spokesperson for the town of Palo Alto, stated, “Town is conscious of the pod association and workers is trying into it.”
