The Beth-El Center, a housing solution focused nonprofit serving Milford, Woodbridge, and other towns along the Connecticut shoreline and in the lower Naugatuck Valley, has retained Farnam Associates, LLC, to study the feasibility of bringing a homeshare program to South Central Connecticut and to advise on how this national model might be implemented locally.
Homesharing is a structured housing strategy that helps people with available space and people seeking housing explore shared living arrangements for their mutual benefit: "A person (the home provider) offers a private bedroom and shared common area in exchange for rent, help around the house or a combination of the two” (National Shared Housing Resource Center). The model allows homeowners to defray housing costs and gain help around the house, while also offering an affordable housing solution for individuals in need of housing. Homeshare programs provide varying levels of support for both homeowners and homeseekers throughout the process (e.g. screening, compatibility review, written agreements, and follow-up). Help exchanged for a portion of the rent may include transportation to appointments, yard work or snow removal, pet care, and meal preparation. Home seekers would not be expected to provide bathing, dressing, medication management, or other personal-care services.
To date, there are over 55 homesharing programs across the country. We are reaching out to homeowners in Milford and Woodbridge today to assess how homeowners like you view homesharing and help us understand the challenges of establishing a homesharing program in Milford & Woodbridge.