Two Single Moms Buy a House to Help Raise Their Children Together

Single Moms Bought a House To Live In and Raise Their Kids Together

Purchasing a house to call your own is the dream, but with rising costs, it can sometimes seem like an impossible milestone to achieve. However, cohabitation or co-living might make this feat much more feasible. Two single moms found this to be the case when they made the decision to purchase a house together in Washington, D.C. Between work and raising their children, they realized they would not be able to handle the financial investment (or responsibility) on their own, so they opted to pool their funds together.

Holly Harper—who founded Anagram Consulting, Blue Bike Communications, and Siren Foundry—separated from her partner in early 2018, and after a couple of years of living in an apartment, wanted to invest in her future. “I knew it was going to be impossible to find a duplex or condo in Washington, D.C. on my self-employed, single-mom budget,” Harper explains in an essay she wrote for Insider. So, she reached out to her good friend who is also a single mother, Herrin Hopper. The pair both shared a dream of communal living and agreed to go all-in on this venture.

“We wanted a multifamily property that would allow two units of similar size, with neither of us sleeping in a basement,” she adds. “We also wanted to be within walking distance of public transit and in a safe neighborhood for our kids to play.” Their new life allows the parents to share responsibilities like babysitting and dog-walking, not to mention household expenses. It also allows them to have more emotional support than living alone. Despite the messiness that comes with having multiple children of different ages, Harper and Hopper believe they are living the dream at their new home, known as Siren House. “Siren is a form of feminist power,” Hopper comments. “We're building a community, we sort of have the siren song so we bring people together.”

In addition to Siren House, Harper and Hopper are cofounders of Main Street Pearl—a “youth-centered, queer-friendly micro-cafe located in the heart of historic Takoma Park, Maryland.” You can learn more about what they're doing by following the Siren House on Instagram.