Explainer
Shared housing and other housing types, explained plainly.
The words used for housing options are not used consistently, and the differences matter when you are advising someone. This page sets out what each option is, who it serves and what it cannot do.
- Version
- v1.0
- Published
- 2026-10-10
- Responsible reviewer
- Partnerships
Why the distinction matters
A person advised toward the wrong option loses time they may not have, and often arrives somewhere that cannot serve them. The labels below overlap in everyday speech: "halfway house" in particular is used for everything from a supervision-tied address to an informal shared home.
So the useful question is rarely "what is this called?" It is: what does this specific option provide, what does it require, and what does it explicitly not do?
Independent shared housing
- What it is
- A private or shared room in a residential property, with common areas shared between independent adults. Residents hold their own housing arrangement.
- Who it serves
- Adults who can live independently and need an affordable, stable housing arrangement.
- What it is not
- No on-site care, supervision or medication management. Clinical and personal-care supports are arranged separately.
Shelter
- What it is
- Short-term, often same-night accommodation for people in immediate crisis. Length of stay is typically measured in days or weeks.
- Who it serves
- People who have no safe place to sleep tonight.
- What it is not
- Shelter is crisis response, not a housing arrangement. It is not designed for medium- or long-term residency.
Transitional housing
- What it is
- Time-limited housing, often with programme participation requirements, intended to bridge a person toward permanent housing.
- Who it serves
- People who need supported time before independent housing is realistic.
- What it is not
- It is time-limited by design. It is not a permanent housing solution.
Halfway house
- What it is
- A term used loosely for housing tied to a specific condition of release, supervision or treatment order. Meaning varies enormously by operator and jurisdiction.
- Who it serves
- Varies — always confirm what a specific property is actually tied to.
- What it is not
- Because the term is used so inconsistently, ask what supervision, reporting or programme obligations attach to a specific address before relying on the label.
Assisted living
- What it is
- A licensed care setting providing personal care, help with activities of daily living and often medication management, with staff on site.
- Who it serves
- People who need regular hands-on assistance with daily living.
- What it is not
- It is a care setting, not independent housing. Shared housing does not provide these services and is not a substitute for them.
Recovery housing
- What it is
- Independent housing with a substance-free living environment, often with peer support and house expectations around sobriety.
- Who it serves
- Adults in recovery who do not need clinical treatment as part of their housing.
- What it is not
- It is not treatment. Clinical and behavioural health services remain with outside providers.
Treatment facility
- What it is
- A clinical setting delivering therapy, medical care or rehabilitation, typically with clinical staff on site.
- Who it serves
- People who need active clinical treatment.
- What it is not
- It is healthcare, not housing. Our pathways do not include this.
Where PHS sits
We are a real estate and independent shared-housing company. Our housing is independent and nonmedical: a room in a shared residential property for adults who can live independently. We do not operate shelter, we do not provide clinical treatment, and we are not an assisted living setting.
Recovery housing, returning-citizen housing and healthcare workforce housing are distinct pathways within our work, each with its own scope and operating requirements. We publish specific operating claims about any pathway only after they are verified.
If you are not sure where someone belongs
Tell us the situation and we will route you. If the answer is that shared housing is not right for this person, we would rather say so at the first conversation than after a referral.
Sources and review
Need help routing someone?
Tell us the situation in general terms and we will tell you whether shared housing fits — and if it does not, what we think is the better route.