I think about this a lot, actually, because I am the type of person that doesn't enjoy living alone. I just get bored and depressed without people around me. (But I'm still a strong Work from Home advocate.)

Having roommates is good for me (I'm a single dude and, by choice, I live with a good friend).

But having bad roommates is horrible. I'm lucky to have been given an opportunity to live with somebody I've known for many years, but the person in the article has "random" roommates that are chaotically moving in and out. That sounds horrible. (A constantly filthy kitchen because nobody "owns" it is terrible.)

Is there a reasonable middleground for a way to find pre-vetted "high quality" roommates? I know that many of my friends would benefit from that. Posting up a Craigslist ad and having lunch with somebody doesn't give you enough confidence. Is there a better way?

(A lot of people, especially in America, are depressed because of loneliness. If we could de-stigmatize living with people, I personally think that would do a lot for the world to create more happiness and "community" for people. But I'm also an optimist at my core. :) )