Starting this year, HomeShare ATL is a matching service for home providers in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. All applicants will be interviewed and screened so that we can provide suggestions for matches that will be based on the home provider’s expectations and compatibility rather than a waiting list position.
We anticipate receiving more applications from individuals seeking a home than from homeowners offering shared space. We are building our provider pool now. We can help you be ready to jump in!
Home sharing participants are not expected to and advised not to provide hands-on personal care such as assistance with bathing, dressing, lifting, or medications, etc. The program is nonsectarian. COVID-19 precautions followed. Both participants must be fully vaccinated.
Benefits of Older Adults Sharing Their Home
1. It can be less expensive to live with other adults. You can share housing costs, utilities and often food. If you own a large home, you can afford to offset the cost of maintaining it by taking on a housemate. You get to age in place and your housemate gains a more affordable way to live.
2. There will be another adult to share chores and responsibilities and to provide a helping hand when needed.
3. It is more likely that someone will be around to help you if you take a fall, to notice if you don’t come home or to call 9-1-1 when necessary. This can provide real peace of mind. There is a sense of security that comes with having a housemate – and not just when you hear a noise in the middle of the night.
4. You gain companionship and people to potentially share holidays and special occasions. Your circle can grow as you meet the friends and family that a housemate can bring to the equation. Only you can decide if this is desirable or not.
5. A sense of community is good for your mind, body, and spirit. We need people around us to offer advice or support, to laugh together, to break bread, to get us out of the house and push us to try new things. Living with other people is one way to create such a valuable support circle.
Eligibility Requirements to Participate in HomeShare ATL
All Applicants Must
- Be 21 years of age or older
- Provide proof of income
- Provide copy of valid government issued photo ID and Social Security Number
- Provide four (4) meaningful personal references
- Agree to and pass a criminal background check
- Have no criminal record history or pending charges of crimes against person or property
- Have no substantiated case of abuse or harassment of any kind
Home Providers Must
- Own available house located within Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, or Gwinnett county
- Provide a private bedroom with a door and a private bathroom
- Hold valid homeowner’s insurance
- Pass home inspection by HomeShare ATL staff
Home Seekers Must
- Want to live in a home within Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, or Gwinnett county
- Agree to acquire renter’s insurance within 15 days of move in
Steps for the HomeShare Process
1. Apply: Interested applicants request an application. After completion and submission, applicants are contacted by HomeShare ATL staff to schedule an Intake Interview.
2. Intake Interview: An in-depth assessment completed with home providers and home seekers to help us learn about your specific interests, needs, and preferences. We also review the eligibility documentation and complete the required consent forms. There is a non-refundable application fee due at the time of the initial interview to cover some of the expense of the background screening cost. Additional information on fees follows these steps.
3. Background and Reference Checks: To promote the safety and well-being of all home share participants each receives an in-depth screening by a third-party reporting agency. Every participant undergoes criminal background checks, credit check, and reference checks. After these steps are completed satisfactorily you are considered ready for the matching pool!
4. Match Search: Using the information provided in the intake interview, staff will begin the process of evaluating potential matches. Once a potential match is identified, staff will discuss the potential match with both parties and if both individuals agree, a phone or virtual meeting will be scheduled.
5. Match Meeting: Staff will facilitate the initial face-to-face meeting between home seekers and home providers. We recommend a neutral location for the first meeting but find home providers often prefer to meet at their home. It may take multiple introductions before the right match is found.
6. Trial Match: For participants who feel comfortable moving forward towards living together, we strongly encourage a two-week trial period to get better acquainted with each other’s lifestyles, to ensure compatibility, and to experience the details of the match agreement prior to signing the lease.
7. Match Agreement: Once two participants agree to be matched, the HomeShare ATL staff will assist in the creation of a Living Together Agreement including a lease that captures the unique needs of each match. This includes how much rent will be paid, hours of services provided, and types of activities both parties are agreeing to.
8. Ongoing Support: Staff stays in regular contact with participants throughout the life of the match providing both emotional and tangible support for housemates. If needs change or issues arise, mediation is available as is assistance renegotiating the match agreement.
Fees
To promote the safety and well-being of all HomeShare ATL participants, a variety of background screens are run on all applicants. To assist us with the expense of the screenings and credit check, there is a one-time non-refundable application fee of $35.00 due at the time of the initial interview. Several payment methods are offered.
No one is denied services because they cannot afford the fees. Financial assistance is available; fees can be reduced or waived in cases of hardship.
Application packets can be requested to be received by Email or US Mail. To request an application, call 770.677.9435 or email homeshare@jfcsatl.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who, what, and where is home sharing taking place?
Home sharing is an affordable housing solution that matches adults in need of affordable housing with individuals offering a room or more to share in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, or Gwinnett county. The program is open to all adults 21 years or older. For individuals to be considered for a match one participant must be 60 years of age or older. Typically, the senior is the home provider, but seniors can be home seekers. And two seniors can be matched!
What type of housing arrangements are available?
- Traditional Rent Agreement: This is most like a traditional roommate situation with the seeker paying reasonable monthly rent to the home provider.
- Service Exchange Only (no cash rent): This no cash option offers home seekers the opportunity to provide services in lieu of cash rent. The provider and seeker negotiate in advance the number of hours and types of services to be exchanged each month based on specific needs and abilities. The seeker will be responsible for personal expenses and maybe a portion of utilities. Services will not include personal care such as bathing, toileting, or medication management.
- Mixed Arrangement: This is a combination of cash rent and service hours. This arrangement offers home providers the benefit of some extra income and household assistance while home seekers pay a lower monthly rent.
What types of service exchanges does a home seeker do for a home provider?
Activities for service exchanges can include transportation, cooking, housekeeping, pet care, yardwork/gardening, technology assistance, even simple companionship in the home from playing games or movie and TV watching together, to activities outside the home like going to a park for a walk or attending a cultural event. The possibilities are endless. Personal care such as bathing, toileting, or medication management is not permitted as part of the match agreement.
How much service exchange does a home seeker do for a home provider?
The number of hours depends on the needs of the home provider. Some home providers do not want any service exchange while others may want 5,10, or more hours per week. Typically, the more service exchanges a home seeker is willing to do the lower the home provider decreases the cash rent.
What is a typical rent price and who sets the rent price?
Each situation is different based on location, neighborhood, home amenities, and ease of access to transportation. The home provider sets the rent. Average cash rent is about $600. Monthly rental ranges from $0 to $900+. HomeShare ATL provides home providers guidance and discussion about rent reduction for service exchange. The more service exchanges a home provider wants and a seeker is willing to do the lower the rent amount will be.
How long does it take to get matched?
Due to HomeShare ATL’s extensive process to make sure the match is a good fit, the quickest someone can be matched may be about six- to- eight weeks, this includes a Trial Match. For many of the home providers and home seekers, it can take longer to get matched due to personal preferences and the amount of time it takes to find a good fit. A good fit includes location, affordability, compatibility, availability, and flexibility.
What is a Trial Match?
When HomeShare ATL identifies individuals recommended for a match, there are telephone and/or virtual introductions usually followed by a home visit. If both the home provider and the seeker are interested in pursuing next steps towards living together, participants are required to coordinate a Trial Match. Arrangements are made for the seeker to visit and stay in the home typically for two weeks. This gives participants the opportunity to experience sharing the same home, to get better acquainted, and to consider the details of their proposed match agreement including the lease.
How is the program safe?
After HomeShare ATL receives a completed application, our staff requires an interview and intake with each applicant including a confidential discussion about any physical and emotional health conditions, and substance use. For each applicant, HomeShare ATL performs a thorough national and state criminal background check, runs a credit check, and speaks to personal references.
What or who does HomeShare ATL not consider?
Home providers residing in a house or townhome under a lease agreement cannot be considered. Also, individuals renting an apartment are not considered as home providers. Emergency housing placements or rapid rehousing are not provided. The match process can take eight or more weeks to find a suitable match. Home sharing is not personal caregiving. Each participant must be able to meet their own personal activities of daily living without assistance from a housemate.
What makes it difficult to find a match?
Barriers to making a match often include pets, smoking, or a seeker preferring a specific location. The process of matching takes time and there is no guarantee that a match will be found for everyone.
More questions can be answered by contacting Jean Cohen, 770.677.9435 or jcohen@jfcatl.org