Living in MyTown makes lockdown easier – survey

MANILA, Philippines — A vast majority of tenants in MyTown communities has been able to weather the impact of the community quarantine on their mental and emotional health, a company survey showed.

MyTown, the biggest co-living brand in the country, conducted last month a second survey among its thousands of tenants on how the pandemic and resulting community quarantines have impacted young professionals, particularly on the importance of community and connection.

The World Health Organization has listed “social support networks” as one of the factors that determine health and happiness. MyTown provides such crucial social support networks through fostering a co-living community among its tenants, affectionately called “Townees”.

The survey results showed 71 percent of tenants believe that living in MyTown has made them less lonely over the last year, up from 64 percent in 2019 before the pandemic broke out. Over 90 percent see MyTown as a “home away from home,” compared to 80 percent in 2019. Seven out of 10 tenants believe that MyTown cultivates an environment where they can make new friends and connections despite the lockdowns.

“The pandemic seems to have accelerated urban loneliness, and we see that co-living helps our tenants weather the pandemic better,” said Drixel Ortega, chief customer officer at MyTown.

MyTown promotes mental wellness while being compliant with Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Health and international health and safety guidelines. These include online events, informative flyers and posters, access to MyTown’s wide range of amenities that promote mental and physical wellness such as fitness centers, a swimming pool, coworking desks, and recreation spaces.

According to MyTown’s survey results, over 90 percent of tenants are satisfied with the COVID-19 guidelines implemented by MyTown, which were created with the help of experts at INSEAD and Oxford University and have been shared  online for the benefit of other co-living players and other interested parties.

MyTown, the co-living brand owned by Philippines Urban Living Solutions with SM Investments Corp. as majority shareholder, is the largest and most prominent co-living brand in the Philippines with 18 modern and luxurious co-living properties located all within five minutes walking distance from Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and Makati CBD. It was awarded Best Co-Living Space in 2019 by Lamudi and Best Impact and Sustainability Coliving Operator at the 2021 international Coliving Awards.