Though it may have been years since you contemplated getting a roommate, it might be an idea worth pursuing.
A growing number of older people are finding roommates with whom to share their homes. The idea is to couple a senior citizen who has a house with another person, someone usually in transition, who needs a place to live.
Having a roommate helps the homeowner with expenses and provides some companionship. For the roommate, it’s a great way to get a relatively inexpensive place to live.
Instead of advertising for a roommate in the newspaper, many seniors are using home-sharing programs run by local social service agencies. These programs match seniors with roommates for free.
“The need for affordable housing is at a critical level,” says Jacqueline Grossmann, home-sharing coordinator of the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs in Winnetka. “There are lots of seniors who need help so we match them with people who just can’t afford high apartment rents.”
The types of home-sharing arrangements vary as much as the people in them, program coordinators say. Students who can’t afford big rents make up a good portion of the roommate pool.
Other potential roommates are single mothers with one child or people who want to be near work but can’t find an affordable apartment.
Typically, the roommate pays monthly rent of about $300. That entitles the person to a room of his or her own, a separate bath and kitchen privileges. So homeowners need to have a big enough house to accommodate that kind of arrangement.
Sometimes rent is reduced in return for services. In one case, a student agreed to cook dinner each night for the elderly homeowner and received free rent in exchange.
“Each situation is tailored to the individual’s needs,” Grossmann says.
A neat thing about using a home-sharing program is that the coordinator screens prospective roommates, making the whole process a little less dicey than taking an ad in the classifieds. The matching process takes about eight weeks. The coordinator interviews the homeowner, asking about personal preferences and special needs. A similar interview is conducted with prospective roommates.
Matches can last for as short a period as three months or as long as three years. Some roommates become good friends. Others have a detached but cordial relationship. It all depends on the individuals involved.
Many homeowners like the sharing arrangement so much that they have had a number of successive, and successful, matches.
The coordinator stays involved to some extent. If problems arise, just as they can in any household where two people are sharing space, the coordinator steps in to sort things out. Squabbling rarely dissolves the match, though. More often, the roommate’s situation changes and he or she moves to a more permanent living arrangement.
To facilitate matches, local home-sharing program coordinators have formed the Chicago Area Housing Network. The group meets every six weeks to discuss possible matches and exchange information. At any given time, there are about 200 matches working through the system.
Program coordinators want you to know what home sharing isn’t. It’s not a roommate service for young professionals trying to link with other like-minded spirits. It’s not for seniors who need 24-hour-a-day care. Those individuals, or their children, should arrange for professional nursing care.
It’s not a way to get cheap rent in a fabulous coach house behind a mansion. Most of the homes in the program are nice, but modest.
Home-sharing programs are eager to find homeowners who want to participate as well as nice people who need a place to live. If you fall into either category, the best place to start is to contact a social service agency near you with a home-sharing program. One close to your home or where you want to live will probably get you the fastest results.
Resources
Here’s a list of home-sharing programs by area:
Chicago and near north suburbs: Council for Jewish Elderly, 773-508-1108
Park Ridge and Oak Park: The Center of Concern, 847-823-0475
Northwest suburbs: Resource Center for the Elderly, 847-577-7070
North suburbs: Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs, 847-501-5760
Southwest suburbs: Plows Council on Aging, 708-422-6722
McHenry County: Senior Services Associates, 815-344-3555
Revival in Joliet
Lots of old buildings are being recycled for new uses. The old Joliet Catholic High School, for example, stood vacant for eight years. But now the school building is being converted into affordable housing for seniors. The project, Victory Senior Centre, will include 56 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
Like most affordable buildings, the project took a lot of effort on the part of many participants, according to developer E. James Keledjian of Associated Ventures Inc., Chicago. He says his company worked closely with neighborhood groups, the City of Joliet, Will County and the Illinois Housing Development Authority, just to name a few.
Monthly rents at Victory Senior Centre will range from $477 to $593. In order to qualify for an apartment, seniors must have annual incomes between $12,000 and $22,000. For more information call: 312-664-5933.
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Jane Adler is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information to share regarding housing for senior citizens, write to Senior Housing c/o Chicago Tribune Real Estate Section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., 60611.
