WOODSTOCK — After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Thompson Center has officially launched a homeshare program.
The program is directed at residents in Woodstock, Barnard, Bridgewater and Pomfret who would be willing to share their homes, or have an interest in sharing a home with someone else. It is administered by the Woodstock-based senior center. Thompson staff got training from HomeShare Vermont, a Burlington-based nonprofit organization, in March 2020 and were preparing to launch a pilot program when the pandemic put a hold on those plans.
“Then our attention really had to focus on essential services,” said Deanna Jones, executive director of the Thompson Center. “It didn’t feel like the right time to start putting people in homes with each other during the beginning of COVID. Once vaccinations were released, the timing felt more appropriate and we started back up.”
The pilot program has now concluded. Although no matches were made, the hosts and guests participated in the interviews, background checks, references checks, introductions and home visits process with Thompson staff. After going through that process, Thomspon staff are now seeking more candidates, “so that we can really start making matches, find the right matches, which we need a bigger pool to be able to do,” Jones said.
As the Thompson Center has slowly started promoting the program in its newsletter and area listservs, it has received dozens of calls, Jones said.
“It potentially allows people to stay in their own home and provides another living space,” she said.
A homeshare arrangement is not the same as having a personal caregiver live with someone, Jones emphasized, and it is not a quick solution for people who need housing immediately.
“It really needs to be thoughtful for the right people, for their mutual benefit,” Jones said. “We will never place someone quickly with someone else.”
Each homeshare pair will write up and agree to a set of guidelines, which includes paying rent. Some of those may include a share in housework in exchange for a reduction in the rent. It could be a good arrangement for an older person who wants to stay in their home and has space to share, but needs help with household tasks like shoveling or other basic maintenance.
“A big part of the process is the interviewing and making sure that you facilitate the best, the appropriate match that would last,” Jones said. One example is that if a homeowner has a dog and a potential guest is allergic to dogs, it would not be a good match. “I think typically people should plan on six weeks start to finish, but it’s possible to do it in less than that if all the stars align and there’s a good match.”
While homesharing is not an arrangement that will work for everyone, it could help alleviate some of the housing challenges in the Upper Valley. During the time the program was paused, housing has become even more scarce, prices have increased and affordable housing has become even more challenging to find.
“I hope that people who hadn’t thought about it before would be willing to consider it now,” Jones said. “It’s definitely an alternative and I think we do need to be creative in times like this.”
Editor’s note: For more information about the Thompson’s homeshare program, visit thompsonseniorcenter.org/homeshare or contact Shari Borzekowski at 802-457-3277, ext. 4 or sborz@thompsonseniorcenter.org. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
