In Hampton Roads, people 55 and older make up about a third of the homeless population.
Older adults often can’t work to increase their income due to medical conditions or mobility challenges. And rising costs of things like rent and groceries can quickly drain a fixed income.
The trend has been building for the last decade, said Julie Dixon, the vice president for community planning and development at the Planning Council, a regional social services nonprofit.
“It can spiral really quickly for a single adult who doesn't have a safety net,” Dixon said.
One root issue she points to is a lack of affordable housing.
Virginia is short about 300,000 affordable rental homes, according to a 2022 statewide housing study.
But many seniors in Virginia have spare bedrooms — for every older adult spending more than the recommended amount on rent, about 12 bedrooms around the state sit empty, HomeShare Oregon reported.
Those unused bedrooms are an opportunity, said Candice Smith, executive director of HomeShare Oregon.
The nonprofit started in 2021 to connect older Oregonians with rooms to share with other seniors who needed affordable housing.
The renter gets a home and the homeowner gets financial relief; both get the benefit of companionship. Smith said the arrangement is a win-win, even if the idea isn’t necessarily new.
“There have been boarders and room renters since there's been people building houses,” she said. “We just need to apply the modern-day rules.”
HomeShare Oregon uses a robust application process to vet and match potential cohabitants. The platform requires a small fee, which covers the cost of a background check, Smith said.
“Then, it’s just like dating,” she said. “‘Are you a morning person?’ ‘Do you like pets’ or ‘How often do you have visitors over?’”
Most of the people using the platform in Oregon are women over the age of 60, Smith said. She noted about 80% of people remain stably housed with their initial match.
“Home-sharing is an incredibly viable way to keep people in their homes and their communities where they want to be,” she said, adding that home-sharing programs should be part of every state’s intervention to address the housing crisis.
“It’s immediate,” she said.
In Hampton Roads, leaders at The Planning Council and Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia are discussing if the program in Oregon could be replicated in the region.
“We truly believe this model would be feasible, sustainable, and address a host of societal concerns, not just safe and affording stable housing but also directly addressing the high rates of social isolation amongst older adults,” said Charnitta Waters, chief operating officer at Senior Services.
The one in Oregon is growing, Smith said, and home-sharing programs already exist throughout California.
Getting it up and running in Hampton Roads would take some legwork, Dixon said.
“It's going to need some dedicated staff and time and finding some extra funding,” she said.
But she said investing in a similar program could help struggling seniors in the region stay housed.
