Retirees in the US are increasingly choosing van life as an alternative to traditional housing due to rising housing, grocery, and gas costs while incomes remain fixed. Pamela Madore, who has lived in her van since Jan. 1, 2020, said many retirees she meets on the road arrived there after losing a spouse, ending a marriage, or being squeezed by the cost of maintaining a conventional home. She cited a retired schoolteacher who sold his home, bought a $20,000 RV, and returned to substitute teaching because his Social Security, pension, and savings were insufficient. Madore pushed back on the idea that living in a vehicle means homelessness, saying, "I have just chosen a different kind of home."
