▁lights ▁that ▁no ▁one ▁could ▁read ▁in ▁the ▁evening ." ▁ ▁Before ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁w ages ▁for ▁women ▁working ▁as ▁se am str esses ▁or ▁servers ▁was ▁often ▁too ▁low ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁afford ▁their ▁own ▁room , ▁so ▁often ▁women ▁shared ▁a ▁room ▁with ▁another ▁woman . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁se ctors ▁where ▁room ing ▁house ▁residents ▁lived , ▁they ▁often ▁had ▁to ▁move , ▁either ▁due ▁to ▁seeking ▁new ▁jobs , ▁because ▁of ▁season al ▁work ▁or ▁due ▁to ▁lay offs , ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁ten ants ▁in ▁a ▁room ing ▁house ▁would ▁change ▁throughout ▁a ▁year . ▁As ▁such , ▁room ing ▁house ▁residents ▁t ended ▁to ▁have ▁only ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁b ags ▁or ▁a ▁single ▁tr unk ▁of ▁poss essions . ▁Another ▁change ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁and ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁was ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁room ing ▁houses ▁according ▁to ▁religion ▁( C atholic , ▁Protest ant ), ▁eth nic ▁origin ▁( I r ish ) ▁or ▁occupation ▁( me chan ics , ▁cook s ); ▁while ▁this ▁was ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁it ▁became ▁less ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁In ▁room ing ▁houses ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁hom osex ual ▁cou ples ▁of ▁men ▁or ▁women ▁could ▁live ▁together ▁if ▁they ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁friends ▁sharing ▁a ▁room ▁and ▁un mar ried ▁heter osex ual