Shared Affordable Housing

Summary

Since 1984, HomeSharing’s mission has been to match “Providers” – residents who need to share their homes or apartments in order to maintain them, with “Seekers” – individuals searching for affordable housing in the community. We are the only agency in New Jersey using the shared housing model to serve the working poor whose incomes are at or below the poverty level and who are not eligible for other social services. HomeSharing also assists clients in utilizing other resources such as the Food Bank, low-cost medical care, and other support services. Approximately 50% of our Providers and 25% of our Seekers are seniors, age 60+. In addition, 80% of our 3,500+ clients earn less than $30,000 per year, 31% have disabilities; and 44% are female heads of household.

HomeSharing benefits Providers because they are able to stay in their homes without leaving the community, utilizing public assistance, or, in the case of older adults, being institutionalized. Seekers benefit finding below market-rate rents to live better on their incomes. The shared arrangement helps provide increased income for food, medications, and clothing or allows the Providers to arrange for an exchange of service such as meal preparation, errands, or house cleaning in lieu of paying rent to the Provider. The local community benefits by employees living near their work locations; paying taxes in the local county; and by a reduction in the need for construction of costly housing units.

Sharing housing can make participants healthier and happier and live longer. Studies have found that having a strong sense of connection and nurturing with others can contribute to longevity. In the June 2017 issue of Harvard Health Letter, Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital, states: “Good, close relationships appear to buffer us from the problems of getting old”. A study of home sharing arrangements found that home sharing can help elders to feel safer in their homes; to sleep and eat better; to get out in the community more often; to get chores done more easily; and to reduce the need to call on their families for help. Shared housing allows for greater independence for aging individuals for a greater period of time. The “Sandwich Generation” – people caring for children and aging parents – gets relief and support because “aging in place” gets easier.

The HomeSharing process begins with an intake phone call or visit by the client in which registration takes place to initially screen the client into HomeSharing services or to make referrals to other agencies. Background/reference checks are completed; and potential clients complete an initial application. Providers and Seekers are interviewed to learn about their personal habits and their history, confirm employment, and ensure that there is adequate income to cover the monthly rent. Clients are provided with the contact information for potential matches. Once a match is made between the two prospective clients, a HomeSharing shared housing meeting is scheduled; and our Social Worker facilitates a discussion on all aspects of the shared living agreement. Both Seeker and Provider leave the meeting with a written copy of an agreement. HomeSharing monitors the match through follow-up phone calls, visits and surveys (to measure outcomes) during the life of the match as well as during the Holiday Food programs and other HomeSharing events (such as after-work get togethers, picnics).

Website: http://homesharing.org/

Key facts

Main target group: Vulnerable older people (e.g. at risk or victims of abuse, living alone, poor etc.)

Other target group(s): Female Heads of Household; Disabled; Low income individuals

Sector(s): Housing, Social protection

Desired outcome for older people:
Meet their basic needs

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:

Accessibility
Ageing in place
Intergenerational activities
Other

Other Issues: Affordable Housing

Contact details

Name: Blum, Lisa

Email address: lblum.homesharing@verizon.net

Preferred language(s): English

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Social or health care provider

Others involved in the project:

Social or health care provider

How collaboration worked: Committed to assisting its clients in locating and utilizing other resources such as low-cost medical care, the Food Bank and other support services, HomeSharing refers them to agencies such as NORWESCAP (Northwest New Jersey Community Action Partnership) for energy assistance and/or food stamps. We collaborate with the Adult Day Care Center and Somerset County Adult Protective Services; and make referrals to Samaritan Homeless Interim Program (SHIP); Interfaith Hospitality Network, Catholic Charities, Central Jersey Housing Resource Center (CJHRC), domestic violence organizations in each of the counties we serve, and other agencies. In addition to the collaboration with other agencies, HomeSharing has been working closely with the New Jersey Age Friendly Community Initiative, which comprises twelve municipalities in four counties. We provide services in three (Essex, Morris, and Union) of the four counties served and are working closely with the Grotta and Taub Foundations to bring HomeSharing to the fourth (Bergen). These Initiatives are including HomeSharing as part of their plans. To this end, we have established the creation of “HomeSharing in a Box” as a goal for our agency. “HomeSharing in a Box” will be a teaching package to instruct and guide colleagues and others looking to use the shared affordable housing model in their communities.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: Older people’s involvement includes: an intake phone call or visit to screen the client into HomeSharing services or to make referrals to other agencies; a background check; initial application; Provider and Seeker interviews to learn about personal habits and history, confirm employment, and ensure that there is adequate income to cover the monthly rent; and a signed housing agreement. HomeSharing monitors the match through follow-up phone calls, visits and surveys during the life of the match.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: Yes

Was the impact positive or negative:
Positive

Please share with us what you found in detail:
Providers report receiving the needed income to be able to remain in their homes. Seekers report receiving sutiable and affordable housing. Both Providers and Seekers are positively impacted economically, socially and health-wise through shared housing arrangements.

Evaluation report: surveyPROVIDER20and20SEEKER20Surveys.pdf

Feedback:
Yes – More than 90% of Providers report that they received the needed income to be able to remain in their homes and 90% of Seekers report they received suitable and affordable housing through the shared housing arrangement.

Expansion plans:
As we look to the future, we anticipate the need for HomeSharing services to continue to grow due to the aging of Baby Boomers and the ever-increasing costs for housing. Colleagues and others have identified the need for affordable housing in their communities and have communicated their wish for HomeSharing to replicate the shared affordable housing model in their localities and with the populations they serve. We have established the creation of “HomeSharing in a Box” as a goal for our agency. “HomeSharing in a Box” will be a teaching package to instruct and guide colleagues and others looking to use the shared affordable housing model in their communities. We are seeking grant funding for this project at this time in order to implement HomeSharing in all of the Age Friendly Community Initiative municipalities.

Looking back

Reflections:
An internal challenge is the small size of our agency and staff. Our strong outreach efforts bring in clients whose service needs take up the majority of the social workers’ limited time. The increasing needs of both Seekers and Providers are specific and differ in the various counties, requiring us to be creative in utilizing other resources in those areas. Our increased outreach efforts, including attending meetings of coordinating organizations, presentations at senior centers and other social service agencies, also led to HomeSharing being approached to expand in other communities (see “Homesharing in a Box” above). Finally, the economy has created a challenge. The gap between Seekers and Providers is widening, in that Seekers can afford less for housing and Providers need more income to be able to maintain their homes. We address this by targeting press releases to certain groups, such as Providers who need service in exchange for reduced “rent” and Seekers who can afford the “rents”, but want the value added of HomeSharing’s screening process.

Challenges:
The main challenge we face is the need to expand HomeSharing to other communities. HomeSharing cannot expand its counties indefinitely and remain cost effective and sustainable, but can sell or franchise a packaged program with policies, procedures, forms, grant writing materials, technology and ongoing monitoring to individuals or agencies wishing to start their own program, and provide oversight. We have established the creation of “HomeSharing in a Box” as a goal for our agency. “HomeSharing in a Box” will be a teaching package to instruct and guide colleagues and others looking to use the shared affordable housing model in their communities.