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Sometimes when referring to people I live with I say housemates. People sometimes find this odd. That or don't understand what I am even talking about. Housemate is someone who lives with you in your house, roommates are those who live with you in a dorm or regular apartment and flatmate means studio apartment. Is saying housemate really so peculiar?
Well I'm from New Zealand - and I would use "Flat mate" but there's no negative connotations with the term. I'm even struggling to understand why there's something wrong with the term "housemate".
A 'togetherment', would be a dwelling unit where several individuals or families share a single structure, sharing such things (variably) as kitchen and dining space, laundry, work areas, recreational areas, etc., BUT each has their own adjoining private space.
This would mean that people who live in this way, are no longer restricted to a private dwelling unit that opens to a public area, but there would be semi-private common areas both indoors and possibly outdoors as well.
One example of a togetherment is a longhouse.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longhouse
Not only interesting, but necessary.
We must fundamentally change our lifestyles.
This would make us all exponentially more efficient, per capita.
It would also keep the construction and manufacturing sectors busy, as retrofitting existing structures for this, would not always be practicable.
We should build these new structures with longevity in mind, meaning an expected 1,000 year habitability span, and capable of withstanding an expected 100 year natural or human-caused disaster (within reason), with little to no damage to the structure. (Don't forget about expected sea-level rise and storm surges).
I use them interchangeably. I have housemates and I refer to them as roomies as well. Housemate is more accurate. Although it was always "roommate" when I lived in an apartment. But we share the house, not a room. And I never refer to my husband as a roommate. That would be weird.
Of course , it is NORMAL ... You are sharing a house . I use that same expression all of the time regarding the two guys who live with me in my home ....
Now; if we were sharing a bedroom ; then they would be "Roommates" .
That is LIKE SOOOO NOT NORMAL MAAAN..
I MEAN.. OUTTA' all that frreeeeeaakiin' people livin' on DA EARTH.. Yaaaaa gotta be like the FIRST one MAN to ever SAY that maaan..
Sooo MUCH NOT NORMAL! MAAAAAAN