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Yes, there are numerous examples of single multigenerational living situations where unrelated individuals come together in a house, homestead, or shared property to form chosen families, often through cohousing models, intentional communities, or similar arrangements. These setups emphasize mutual support, shared responsibilities, and emotional bonds that mimic familial relationships, such as elders acting as surrogate grandparents or younger members providing caregiving. Below, I’ll highlight specific real-world examples, focusing on how they function like adopted families in a single or clustered homestead-like setting.

Saettedammen Cohousing Community (Denmark)

This pioneering intergenerational cohousing setup, located outside Copenhagen, consists of 28 houses on shared land where 71 unrelated residents of all ages—from children to retirees—live in a cooperative model. Established over 45 years ago, it features private homes alongside communal spaces like gardens, walkways, and a common house for meals and activities. Residents, including singles, couples, and families, pay a modest annual fee for shared resources and rotate tasks such as cooking communal dinners four times a week or maintaining grounds. It fosters family-like dynamics through everyday interdependence: teenagers describe it as a place where “everyone’s a parent,” with neighbors stepping in for childcare or support if needed. Elders benefit from the energy of younger residents, while children gain a sense of security from the extended network, creating bonds akin to adoption where people treat each other as kin without blood ties.

Rocky Hill Cohousing Community (Northampton, Massachusetts, USA)

In this U.S. example, 28 households of unrelated people aged 2 to 80 share a single property with private units and communal areas for chores, activities, and resources like tools or play spaces. Founded about 12 years ago, it operates on a consensus-based model where residents contribute to decisions and maintenance. The setup promotes chosen family bonds through built-in social support—such as easy babysitting via nearby homes, shared snow removal, or group events—that reduce isolation. Older residents often form grandparent-like relationships with children, teaching about life stages like aging or retirement, while younger families provide vitality and practical help. Plans for future caregiving, like ride-sharing or on-site nursing, further solidify these adoptive ties, making it feel like an extended family homestead.

Bridge Meadows (Portland, Oregon, USA)

This intentional community focuses on unrelated multigenerational living by housing older adults alongside families who foster or adopt children from the child welfare system, all on a shared campus with individual units but communal facilities like playgrounds and gathering spaces. Residents commit to volunteering time, such as mentoring youth or organizing events, which builds deep, family-like connections. Seniors often act as surrogate grandparents, offering wisdom and stability, while families provide companionship and purpose for elders. This homestead-style arrangement emphasizes healing and mutual adoption, with programming that encourages cross-generational interactions, turning strangers into a supportive “village” that addresses loneliness and fosters long-term bonds.

Muir Commons (Davis, California, USA)

As the first cohousing community in the U.S., inspired by Danish models, this rural-ish setup includes private homes for unrelated individuals and families across generations, clustered around shared gardens, workshops, and a common house. With a mix of young families, professionals, and elders, it functions like a modern homestead where residents share meals several times a week, participate in work parties, and hold community events. Bonds form through daily encounters—such as children playing in communal areas while adults chat or collaborate on tasks—creating adoptive family roles. Older neighbors often serve as mentors or “grandparents” to kids, and the group supports each other in ways that go beyond neighbors, like skill-sharing or emotional care.

H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly) in Chicago, USA

This income-restricted intergenerational housing features unrelated residents of various ages living in a shared building or campus with private apartments and communal amenities designed to spark interactions, such as shared kitchens or activity rooms. It caters to low-income seniors and younger families, promoting chosen family dynamics through site planning and programs that encourage mentoring, shared childcare, and joint events. Elders gain vitality from younger residents, while families benefit from the wisdom and stability of “adopted” grandparents, making it a urban homestead where non-related people build lasting, supportive relationships.

These examples illustrate how unrelated people can create single multigenerational households or homesteads by prioritizing shared values, legal structures like cooperatives, and daily practices that nurture adoptive family bonds. If you’re interested in starting one, resources like the Cohousing Association of the United States offer directories and guides for similar setups.