— from San Juan County Communications —

Housing advocates across San Juan County are moving forward with a proposed HomeShare Program. After receiving feedback from 113 community members through an online survey, the proposed HomeShare program has generated enough interest to formulate a pilot program.

The survey identified two groups of potential participants: Potential Home Providers, who own or stably rent a home, and Potential Home Seekers, who do not own or stably rent a home. Below are some of the results from the county-wide survey.

Of the potential Home Providers,

  • 60% of respondents both own/stably rent a home AND have an extra bedroom or unused guesthouse.
  • Of those select (60%) respondents, 34.6% said they were “Very Likely” or “Likely” to open their home to another individual.
  • 15% of respondents are already informally acting as a Home Provider to fellow community members.

Of the potential Home Seekers,

  • 100% struggle to find affordable rental housing.
  • 73.1% of respondents said they were either “Very Willing” or “Willing” to live in an extra bedroom or guesthouse of a fellow island resident.

This data demonstrates the need and willingness of those struggling to find housing to participate in this program, and that there are individuals in the community who will open their doors to these individuals.

As a result, the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center is seeking up to ten individuals interested in participating in a pilot program as Home Providers on San Juan Island. These individuals should either own a home or be in a stable, long-term lease agreement (with the ability to legally sub-let), and have an extra bedroom, living accommodation, or guesthouse that they are willing to open to a renter. Home Providers who may need some assistance with housework or yardwork, and individuals currently acting as Home Providers are encouraged to attend.

Pilot participants will attend an informational meeting on August 22, 2018 at 5:30 pm at the Resource Center to gain an understanding of the program and provide feedback on the program structure and development. This pilot program will aim to understand and meet the needs of both the Home Providers and the Home Seekers to ensure success of the HomeShare program in the future.

Attending the informational meeting does not automatically sign you up to participate in the program, but if you would like to participate as a Home Provider after learning more, you are will have an opportunity to learn about the next steps in the process. All participants in the HomeShare program will have background and references checked by the Resource Center before they are eligible for a HomeShare.

For more information about joining, please contact Abby Anderson, Housing and Asset Coordination VISTA at vista@sanjuanco.com or (360) 370-7515.

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