Homesharing
Homesharing is a simple idea. A householder offers accommodation to a homesharer in exchange for an agreed level of support. The support needed may be help with the household tasks, or it may be financial support, or a combination of both. Homesharing is an exchange that recognizes that both people have needs and both have something to offer.
Homesharing with St. Ambrose
Established in 1988, the St. Ambrose Homesharing Program provides housing counseling, housing referrals, and home assessments to match homeowners with existing space in their homes to tenants seeking affordable housing. In 2005, St. Ambrose Homesharing celebrated its 1,000th successful match.
The Homesharing Program is part of our strategy to stabilize and improve neighborhoods by providing financial and emotional support to home owners who want to stay in and maintain their homes but who may have difficulty making ends meet. For the homeowner, Homesharing is a safe way of finding companionship, additional income and possible assistance with household maintenance. For the homeseeker, the program offers opportunities for those who may be otherwise excluded from affordable housing by long waiting lists or insufficient resources.
St. Ambrose Homesharing maintains an active database of 126 homeowners seeking an appropriate homeseeker to add some warmth and companionship to their home. The St. Ambrose Homesharing Program has touched and warmed thousands of lives.
Benefits of Homesharing
- Homeowners over 65 are often not able to do the chores needed to maintain a home. Often Homeseekers can perform such tasks in exchange for lower rent.
- The additional income often allows the homeowner to afford necessary improvements to their property. This benefits the participants, as well as the community by averting the blight of aging properties.
- Neighborhood businesses benefit from a more stable customer base with discretionary income.
- Homesharing allows each partner time to institute other steps toward achieving financial stability.
- St. Ambrose Homesharing staff help refer those who do not meet our eligibility criteria to other social services agencies.
The Process
St. Ambrose Homesharing receives over 1,000 inquiries a year. On average, the initial eligibility screening yields a pool of 180 homeowners and 156 homeseekers. All applicants are personally interviewed, homeseekers in the office and homeowners in their homes; references are checked carefully; and criminal background checks are completed. Based on preferences stated in the interviews, homeseekers and homeowners are carefully matched for compatibility.
St. Ambrose counselors help the parties create their match agreement and act as facilitators if needed. Matches typically last from nine to 12 months, although the program has resulted in a few matches lasting five years and longer.
When a match ends, an evaluation is sent to both parties. If the experience has been satisfactory and the homeowner is interested in continuing to share their home, the staff looks for another homeseeker.
Who Participates in Homesharing?
The following demographics represent the clients served by the St. Ambrose Homesharing Program:
- 73% are female;
- 53% are African-American, 43% are Caucasian, 4% are Asian;
- 50% are over the age of 62; and
- 61% have an annual income below $25,251.
Background
Homesharing as a formalized service came into being and was promulgated in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Shared housing was touted originally by Maggie Kuhn and the Gray Panthers as a low-cost, simple-to-administer and neighborhood-friendly housing option for an aging population who wished to remain in their homes and neighborhoods. The concept of shared housing was promoted by AARP and other federal and state agencies as a new affordable housing alternative for seniors and others. Some nationally consistent, general characteristics of the program are:
- Homesharing is a housing solution focused on the elderly.
- Homesharing caters primarily to women. 75% of Homeproviders and 50% of Homeseekers are women.
- Homesharing is an affordable housing response. Approximately 60% of the Homeproviders are house rich–cash poor, living on a fixed income at or below poverty level. Approximately 70% of the homeseekers are considered low-income.