Fern makes a lot of great points! I'll add that it may be important, at least it would be to me, that the housemates were honestly aiming for stability. Effort
and real intentions always count! You know that there are some with a mental illness that almost like being ill, and deliberately self-sabotage to remain so.

I do think that having people around that understand the illness is helpful, in many ways. However, it all comes down to personalities, too. You know that we folks with bipolar disorder are not all the same because we share the diagnosis. Some personalities clash, and others complement each other, or enrich. A lot of us are also dealing with "other stuff" besides bipolar disorder. Sometimes that is just fine. Other times it can be overwhelming (or other reactions). One person's bipolar "irritability" can look and sound a lot different than another's. Another person's psychosis can be frightening or triggering, etc.

There is a reason why psychiatric hospitals and PHP/IOPs discourage patients from becoming friends. Sometimes they can add to the stress in each others lives, and complicate recovery. I love story telling, but I'll spare you a long one I have in mind. Made short...I made a friend inpatient who was also going to the same PHP/IOP as me. Something happened between us that made one of us leave the IOP early. It's really a shame! I won't put full blame on either of us.

I think it's crucial that we not hide from the outside non-psych dx world. I'm not saying that living in the type of residence that you describe would have to be hiding, but it could be for some.