Senior housing options are usually explained as a simple ladder: independent living, assisted living, nursing home. In practice, most seniors don't fit neatly on that ladder — and the space between "needs a little help" and "needs a nursing facility" is where a lot of cases get stuck.

That middle tier is often called supportive co-living or supportive housing — private or shared housing paired with coordinated services (caregiver visits, medication management, home health, transportation) rather than an all-in-one institutional setting. It tends to work well for seniors who:

Don't need 24/7 skilled nursing, but can't safely live fully independently

Are on a fixed or limited income and priced out of assisted living

Value living in a real neighborhood, not a clinical facility

Have some family or community support but need more structure than "aging in place" alone provides