Motivations, Relational Experiences and Perceived Benefits of Home Sharing Arrangements Among Older Adults

Background and Purpose: One of the greatest barriers to preventing homelessness is the lack of affordable and safe housing (Kendall, 2023; Om et al., 2022). Homesharing, a model that involves a non-profit organization carefully pairing “homeowners” with an extra room in their home with people looking for lower-cost housing (“home-seekers”), allows homeowners to age in place by providing a home to another individual in exchange for a rent that is lower than market rate and, as negotiated, daily living support such as light housework (Magid et al., 2022; Martinez et al., 2020). Homesharing has been a housing tool for over five decades, however research on this intervention has been limited. In this qualitative study, we posed the following research questions: 1) In what ways are home sharing participants motivated to engage in homesharing?, 2) How do home seekers and providers understand their relationships with one another? and 3) How does participation in the program shape home provider and home-seeker experiences with economic well-being and housing stability?

Methods: This study is a community-engaged qualitative research project involving collection of 30 in-depth interviews with a diverse group of “home providers” and “home-seekers.” We conducted 45-60 minute interviews with participants via Zoom or in person, and a short demographic survey. The researchers used constant comparison techniques to identify patterns and unique perspectives in the transcripts (Strauss & Corbin, 1998).

Results: For both home providers and home seekers, motivations for participation in the program were primarily economic, but to varying degrees. For home seekers, the need for an affordable place to live was paramount. For some home providers, the decision to join the homeshare program came after an acute crisis, such as a health issue or a natural disaster. Many home providers were women who were newly widowed and were facing economic precarity. Some home providers discussed joining home sharing for companionship, for moral reasons or due to needing help with minor tasks in the home, though these reasons were not usually primary. Some participants discussed frequent interactions (daily) and shared space with their host/renter, while others had completely separate living spaces. Most participants noted that the ability to have lower rent (home seekers) or have additional income (home providers), provided them with economic and housing stability. Both home seekers and home providers discussed the careful matching process and felt that they had benefited from the companionship of their counterpart.

Conclusions and Implications: Contrary to common narratives about home sharing, not all participants desired companionship in their arrangement. Further, this research contradicts the notion that home seekers join for solely economic needs while home providers primarily join for companionship. Instead, we found that many home providers were also involved in homesharing for economic reasons. It is important that policy reflects the needs of both parties, including addressing the economic needs of home providers in these situations.