Houses, or rather apartments with a shared kitchen and maybe shared bathrooms are still a thing in Japan.
There are "share houses" of which maybe the most famous/notorious is Sakura House that has many locations and caters to visitors.
There's also https://www.social-apartment.com which is targeted more at locals. I've thought about joining one for the social aspect. I think there would be a market in other countries, especially if there was an activity director making sure events happened. I didn't know it would be illegal in the USA.
There are also high end apartments that have an activity "roof top". A friend lives in one. The rooftop has a restaurant, live entertainment, indoor and outdoor areas, a pool, and rooms you can reserve for private parties.
Tangentially, lots of old USA movies show characters living in boarding houses, having a room to themselves but sharing meals. Seems nice in the movies. No idea how it was in real life.