PANDEMIC, DIVORCES AND LOSS,
FOUND HEALING AND HAPPINESS BY
TAKING A HOUSE-SIZED LEAP OF
FAITH.
>> ANY GIVEN MOMENT I HAVE
PEOPLE I CAN TALK TO, LAUGH
WITH.
WE DO A LOT OF LAUGHING.
>> KAREN HAPPIER, LEONDRA,
NICOLA, HOLLY HAMPER AND JEN
JACOBS ALL SAY THEY FOUND THEIR
DREAM HOME HERE IN TACOMA PARK
MARYLAND.
IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT LOCATION.
IT IS ABOUT LIVING TOGETHER.
KIDS AND ALL.
>> THEY GO OUT AND PRACTICE
THEIR FLIPS ON THE TRAMPOLINE.
AND IT IS JUST THE MOST FUN.
>> THE IDEA FOR THIS CAME FROM
HOLLY AND KAREN.
>> WE JUST SAID WHY NOT.
WE WERE IN INDIVIDUAL APARTMENTS
AND TIRED OF PAYING RENT AND
DEALING WITH THE LOGISTICS OF
BEING SINGLE PARENTS.
>> MY MARRIAGE ENDED AND THEN I
HAD A COUPLE OF REALLY
SIGNIFICANT LOSSES AND IN EARLY
2020 MY DAD DIED.
JUST LIKE MY LIFE WAS BURNED TO
THE GROUND.
AND SO I COULD TURN TO HER AND
SAY I LITERALLY HAVE NOTHING
LEFT.
LET'S JUST DO THIS.
>> THEY STARTED SEARCHING,
FINDING THE PERFECT HOUSE ON DAY
ONE AND CLOSING IN JUNE OF 2020.
THEY JUST NEEDED MORE PEOPLE TO
SHARE IT WITH.
>> I POSTED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
LISTER, HEY, TWO SINGLE MOMS
BOUGHT THIS HOUSE.
WE HAVE A BASEMENT UNIT FOR
RENT.
LEONDRA MESSAGED RIGHT AWAY AND
SAID I WANT IN.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THE DECISION.
>> PART OF TRYING TO FIND A WAY
TO HAVE A STABLE PLACE TO LIVE
AS A SINGLE MOM AND THEN HAD ALL
THE PERKS OF LIKE THIS AMAZING BUILT IN SUPPORT SYSTEM.
BUILT IN SUPPORT SYSTEM.
>> Reporter: THEN HOLLY AND
HAREN'S PRESENT JEN MOVED IN.
>> I WAS NOT IN A GOOD PLACE AND
FEELING CUTOFF AND FINALLY
OCTOBER 2020 THAT WAS MY
DECISION I GOT TO GET OUT.
>> SO HOW IS THE PLACE SET UP?
DO YOU EACH HAVE YOUR OWN
KITCHEN AND BATHROOMS?
>> AS THE FOUR UNIT BUILDING.
THERE IS A FRONT DOOR.
FROM THERE YOU ACCESS DIRECTLY
SORT OF HOLLY'S UNIT.
UPSTAIRS IS MINE AND ON TOP OF
MINE IS GENS AND THEN YOU CAN GO
TO THE BASEMENT AND ACCESS
LEONDRA.
>> THEY SPLIT THE HOUSEHOLD
EXPENSES AND HOLD MONTHLY
MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT ANY
BUSINESS OR CONFLICTS WHICH THEY
SAY ARE RARE.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE MARRIED,
HOW DOES THAT WORK?
SOMETIMES I'LL JOKE WITH MY HUS
THEY NEED A WIFE.
I NEED SOMEONE TO HELP ME.
>> THE SIMPLEST EXAMPLE IS
MONDAY NIGHT IS GARBAGE MONDAY
NIGHT.
AND ONLY ONCE A MONTH DO I DO IT
AND SOMEBODY ELSE HAS DONE IT.
AND.
>> THEY SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE
AND YOU HAVE CREATED YOUR OWN
VILLAGE.
>> I HANG OUT WITH THEIR
CHILDREN AND THEY WILL HANG OUT
WITH MINE.
>> I CAN JUST SAY HEY I'M GOING
TO GO FOR A RUN AND THERE IS
ALWAYS A GROWN UP ON SITE.
>> THEY HAVE EVEN GIVEN THEIR
HOME A NAME.
SIREN HOUSE.
AFTER THE MYTHICAL FEMALE
CREATURE.
>> A FORM OF FEMINIST POWER.
WE'RE BUILDING A COMMUNITY THAT
WE HAVE THE SIREN SONG.
SO WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
>> CASE IN POINT.
LEONDRA AND JEN.
>> THEY FELL IN LOVE.ANDRA AND J
>> THEY FELL IN LOVE.
AND NOW THEY ARE TOGETHER.
>> IT'S TRUE.
>> IS THIS FOR REAL?
SERIOUSLY.
>> YEAH.
ONE NIGHT THEY -- I WAS HANGING
OUT -- I'M NOT REVEALING THE
WHOM THING.
>> CAN I GO ON THE RECORD AND
PLEASE HAVE THE MOVIE RIGHTS TO
THIS?
NOT ONLY THAT THE WOMEN ALSO
HELPED LEANDRA OPEN A CAFE
NEARBY CALLED MAIN STREET PEARL.
>> TO BE IN A PLACE YOU CAN
REALLY TRUST THE PEOPLE AROUND
YOU WHO ARE GOING TO ALWAYS HAVE
YOU.
LIKE THAT'S -- I MEAN THAT IS
SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW I
COULD EVER HAVE.
SO.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT
PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT YOU
HAVE LEARNED FROM THIS
EXPERIENCE?
>> YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.
BURN THE RULE BOOK OF LIFE.
AND JUST LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY.
>> I LOVE THAT YOU GUYS ARE
LIVING FEARLESSLY.
>> I THINK THE BIG TAKEAWAY FOR
ME IS THERE IS UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE.
I COULD BE MY WORST SELF.
I COULD BE MY BEST SELF.
THEY SEE ME FOR WHO I AM AND IT
IS ALL OKAY.
>> HOLLY AND HAREN HAVE ACTUALLY
INVESTED IN ANOTHER HOUSE.
AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN KITCHEN
OWN DOOR.
YOU ARE IN THE SAME UNIT.
SO THE KIDS ARE ALMOST LIKE
COUSINS NOW.
>> AND THINK WHEN OUR MOMS AND
MOURNLS COME IN TOWN.
LIKE WE A WIFE HERE.
SO NICE TO JUST HAVE EXTRA
WOMEN, NO OFFENSE.
>> NONE TAKEN.
>> -- WELL SIMULTANEOUS THEY ALL
END IN YOUR KITCHEN AND ALL THE
KIDS ARE THERE.
LIKE GO BACK TO YOUR HOUSE.
>> THEY ARE GETTING ANOTHER
HOUSE.
>> THEY ARE GOING TO INVEST IN
ANOTHER HOUSE AND HOPE TO CREATE
A SIMILAR HOME FOR MORE WOMEN.
I THINK IT IS A MODEL.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE.
CHECK OUT OUR NEW AMERICAN
FAMILY SERIES ON TODAY.COM.
YOU KNOW, LISTEN.
YOU SPLIT THE BILLS.
>> COOL.