Students and seniors find friendship under a shared roof

At 65, retired psychiatrist Sue Diedrich found herself alone in the spacious Greenwood Village home where she’d raised her two children. And she discovered she didn’t care for living alone.

At 47, former chef and longtime local contractor T.J. Christensen found himself back in school, studying Biochemistry and Physics at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and wondering how he was going to afford Denver rent while not working.

Then, Diedrich and Christensen found each other.

The unlikely pair was brought together thanks to a new partnership between MSU Denver’s Student Housing and Living office and Sunshine Home Share Colorado. And they lived happily — if not ever after, at least for the foreseeable future — in Diedrich’s home.

The University launched the partnership because paying for a place to live is a challenge for many students, said Abbie Kell, student-housing project manager. “Finding affordable housing is a more and more pressing issue for our students,” she said.

MSU Denver assists students in several ways, including connecting them with on-campus and student-friendly off-campus housing, potential roommates and emergency assistance.

The challenge of helping students find housing isn’t limited to MSU Denver. The 2024 Student Financial Wellness Survey by Trellis Strategies found that among college students nationwide, 43% experienced housing insecurity and 14% were homeless during the previous year.

So far, two MSU Denver students, including Christensen, have found a home through the Sunshine Home Share partnership. “It’s not for everyone,” Kell said. “But it is definitely an important part of the housing conversation. I’d love to see it grow.”

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Sunshine pairs homeowners — they call them home-sharers — age 55 and older with younger people  — they call them home-seekers  — who need an affordable place to live. It’s a win-win, said Alison Joucovsky, executive director of Sunshine Home Share Colorado. Sharers like Diedrich get extra income and someone to help with housework. Home-seekers like Christensen pay rent that’s well below the local average and agree to do chores around the house. On average, home-seekers pay $750 a month, Joucovsky said. That compares with the average spring 2025 rent in Denver of $1,667 for a studio apartment, according to Apartments.com.

And if all goes well, as it has for Diedrich and Christensen, they both get companionship.

On paper, Christensen wasn’t Diedrich’s idea of an ideal match. Although, given that he’s a trained chef who also can fix a HVAC system, maybe he should have been.

However, not sure she wanted a male roommate, Diedrich initially chose a woman she’d interviewed, even after meeting Christensen. But that woman decided she didn’t want to home-share after all. For that, Diedrich is grateful. “The universe was looking out for me because T.J. is my dream come true,” Diedrich said. The two connected immediately.

Their first in-person meeting happened last summer, during what Joucovsky called “a very, very comprehensive screening process.” That means not only background checks but lifestyle checks: Would you mind living with a dog or a cat? Are you a smoker? Prospective roommates meet in person, and if the meeting goes well and both want to proceed, there is a trial two-week sleepover.

The person moving in “comes over with a small suitcase, and they have to have a plan B — we tell them not to give up their housing,” Joucovsky said. If the trial goes well, the next step is a home-share agreement, which covers things like helping with groceries, who will shovel snow, how much kitchen space the home-seeker will get and what time is lights-out.

Whether one person with a fondness for jazz (Diedrich) and another with an understanding of quantum physics (Christensen) could live harmoniously wasn’t part of the screening process. But it turns out the answer is yes.

As the two got to know each other, a strong bond developed.

“She’s humble about her accomplishments,” Christensen said of Diedrich, as he stood in the kitchen slicing strawberries for the two of them to snack on. “But I really admire her. She had a tough time after medical school.”

He knows that because, as Diedrich said, “We have deep conversations until 3 or 4 in the morning, talking about our past lives.”

And while she doesn’t yet understand quantum physics, she does enjoy hosting meetings of his physics club. And he’s learning to appreciate jazz.

“He fixes things; he cooks; we talk about everything,” Diedrich said. “And now we are best friends, nothing romantic, just besties.”

He’s remodeling her kitchen, even as he uses it most days to make the two of them chef-quality meals. “I’m planning to do some hydroponic gardening,” he said, handing Diedrich strawberries sprinkled with enough sugar to satisfy her sweet tooth. He also bought a big reach-in freezer for $20 on Facebook Marketplace. “That way, this summer I can make pastas, lasagnas, things like that, and freeze them so when I get busy with school, she’ll have meals.”

Both know that eventually the home-share arrangement will come to an end. But the friendship, both say, won’t. “I’m going to know Sue for the rest of my life,” Christensen said.

“He’s my best friend,” Diedrich said.

Learn more about Student Housing and Living at MSU Denver.