Extended households are far from a rare phenomenon in Latin America and their prevalence does not seem to be in decline. Previous research has mainly understood household extension as a family strategy to face economic deprivation, giving little attention to other factors that take part in its explanation. Using 2017 data from the CASEN Survey, this article evaluates the role played by economic and life-course factors in extended living arrangements among women living in family units in Chile. Findings from this research provide a more nuanced picture of the role that economic factors play in explaining household extension, suggesting that economic needs are an important driver for those seeking refuge in someone else’s home, but they are less important for those hosting other relatives within their household. Importantly, likelihood of living in an extended household changes over the life span and is affected by the changing needs of support that women face in their life course.