Area seniors and empty nesters with spare space in their homes could help provide local worker housing and earn rental income under a homesharing program being launched by the Regional Housing and Growth Issues Partnership.
The partnership on Friday formed a Homeshare Subcommittee with representatives from local agencies that serve seniors, nonprofit organizations and Kootenai Health. Subcommittee members aim to have a homesharing program set up in Kootenai County within 90 days.
“Homesharing enables two or more unrelated people to share housing for their mutual benefit,” said Coeur d’Alene City Councilwoman Kiki Miller. “One offers the other a private room in exchange for rent, help around the house or a combination of the two.”
The Homeshare Subcommittee is one of several formed by Miller and the partnership to increase the affordability and availability of local worker housing.
Homesharing programs have been used to help seniors find peers to share a space with them to help with expenses and provide companionship, or to match seniors with younger individuals who can help with yardwork and other tasks like grocery shopping in exchange for lesser rent.
“Every homesharing arrangement is unique,” Miller said. “It’s about people helping people.”
The homesharing program in Kootenai County would work to match home providers and home seekers, conduct background checks, perform occasional check-ins and mediate separation of the agreement, if needed.
The University of Idaho’s recent Housing Availability and Affordability Study for Kootenai County revealed that skyrocketing housing prices have made it difficult for employers to recruit and retain employees.
The study, completed in December, estimated there were 2,700 unfilled jobs in the county and a $200 million loss in Gross Regional Product due to a lack of local worker housing.
Home providers, home seekers and volunteers interested in training to become matching coordinators can contact HomeShare Kootenai County at www.homesharekc.org