On Wednesday, 22 January, noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Kingston North Kitsap, our guest speaker, Emily Klein, the Fishline HomeShare Coordinator, explained the inaccessibility of rental housing for many people in Kitsap County and an innovative solution being developed by HomeShare. Emily is a graduate of Seattle University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology. She is also a Kitsap county severe weather shelter volunteer.
She described the increasing unaffordability of rental housing in Kitsap County as being driven in part by a 60% increase in the cost of rent from 2014 to 2019. According to her sources, the average monthly rent for an apartment in Kitsap is $1475. While the monthly rent affordable to an average renter in Kitsap is $663, and the monthly rent affordable to an average Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient is $234. This leaves half of the renters “cost-burdened” – many of them seniors who have been priced out of previously affordable housing.
On the other side of this housing insecurity equation are the seniors who have become “house-rich, but resource-poor.” Many who own their home may not be able to pay the mortgage, property taxes, and other expenses on a fixed income. This can cause an increasing hardship, leading to financial vulnerability and loss of the home. Also, maintaining a home and garden can be a challenge for older adults and those with disabilities. Also, living alone can lead to social isolation and loneliness, which can exacerbate health problems.
HomeShare is a win-win solution: Shared Living. HomeShare connects those with space to rent with those in need of space to live. It is a flexible model that lets participants charge rent or trade for services, a community-centered, immediate model for affordable housing that makes efficient use of existing housing stock, and a powerful tool for homelessness prevention. By partnering home seekers with home providers, both can enjoy cost savings—for the seekers: affordable housing and a chance to build savings; and for providers: income from rent, or savings on home maintenance. There are other benefits as well: mutual help, safety, security, peace of mind, and fostering of community.
HomeShare is a new approach to an old solution that provides structure to help participants succeed. The process begins with an application/building a profile, background, and reference checks, finding a match, match referral, initial phone conversation, in-person meeting, home visit, HomeShare agreement, trial match, and concludes with a shared home! Participants become part of a supportive community. There are many communities with successful HomeShare programs, including Tacoma, New York City, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, California – several programs state-wide, and Vermont – several programs state-wide.
For more information, contact Emily Klein, HomeShare Coordinator at:
(360)229-2503
homeshare@fishlinehelps.org
http://fishlinehelps.org/programs/homeshare