Idea: Shared Housing

• This idea page is about the wide range of concepts of concern to people who do, can, and might share housing resources.
• It will contain materials which may be useful in building a Shared Housing Network in Philadelphia and elsewhere.

From My Post in the Facebook group "Helpful Philadelphia"

One area where people could come together to be more helpful is in housing. Where someone lives and where our relatives and friends live is about as important as health, nutrition and safety. There are dozens, or perhaps hundreds of groups (to say nothing of the Government) where there is a focus on housing as an important issue. So, what if we propose to create a Web based tool that can facilitate collaboration among social services, government agencies, neighborhood organizations and private people who wish to help families find housing resources among private and public sources. Older people with an "empty nest" might find it helpful if a local service organization could help them find an appropriate housemate. Senior centers might be able to benefit their tenants by collaborating with colleges to place students in their facilities. A network of charitable services for making "Shared Housing" a possibility could make a difference in many lives. Stan (talk) 18:45, 23 April 2017 (EDT)

A Local Example

• HomeSharing Inc is a 30 year old matchmaking service in Bridgewater NJ

Downloadable Documents

• Google Search: Match-Up Home Sharing Program

Match-up Home Sharing Program

• Match-up Home Sharing Program PDF from Livable New York
  • This is an exposition on home sharing "Match-up" programs as they are and how they have been operated. Published as document III.1.g of the Livable New York Resource Manual, this document offers pointers for every phase of starting and running a match-making home sharing program.
• Possible Index to the Resource Manual
• Another possible table of contents

A Vermonter’s Guide to Homesharing

Another comprehensive 17 page guide book based on 30 years of experience. It includes sample interview questions, sample reference check questions, and a sample homesharing agreement

• A Vermonter’s Guide to Homesharing

Strategies For Scaling Shared Housing

A 44 page guide book from Affordable Living for the Aging (ALA), practitioners and experts in the fields of shared housing, aging in place, and affordable housing.

• Best Practices, Challenges & Recommendations

A Nation-Wide Online Matchmaking Service

• Senior Homeshares
• Senior Homeshares' video

Mid-Atlantic & New England Home Sharing Programs

• St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, Baltimore
• Women's Rights Information Center, Englewood, NJ
• HomeSharing Inc, Bridgewater, NJ
• New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, New York City
• Home of the Sparrow Chester County, PA
• Outer Cape HomeShare, Provincetown, MA
• Moore Options for Seniors, Manchester NH
• HomeShare Vermont

Home Sharing In the News

• Listing of Home Sharing Stories in the Solutions Journalism Network's Storytracker
• The Airbnb For Affordable Housing Is Here - fastcompany
  • Nesterly: Homeshare with another generation (mentioned in the above news story)

Other Resources

• Housing Swap section on Craigslist, Philadelphia
• Category:Issue-Shared Housing
• Google Search: Shared Housing
• Housing Resource Page
• HIP Housing San Mateo, CA
• Livable New York
• Community Planning Website
• Homelessness Prevention Testimony at City Council from the PEC
• low income home sharing - Google Search

See Also

• Category:Issue-Shared Housing
• Google Search: Shared Housing Philadelphia

(Note the LACK of references to Philly charities or government except for the Home of the Sparrow)

• Humor: Difficult housing placements from the New Yorker, sad but funny!
• More Humor, this comic in Yes Magazine about Seatle Washington
• Idea: Level 2 Social Media