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 Proudly serving the St. Croix Valley Area...
As part of our community outreach, we offer free educational
presentations to senior groups, civic organizations, faith groups
and those interested in learning more about HomeShare
St. Croix.
Faces of the Recession,
6/18/09 & 2/25/09
Nine years ago, Laurie and Alec Keit quit their corporate jobs to find work they loved. Laurie became a florist, and Alec began working as a general contractor. With two steady incomes and a roof over their heads, the Keits didn't start worrying about finances until the economy began to unravel in the spring of 2008.
When times got tough, Laurie says they got loans from friends and family members, canceled their phone and cable service, stopped eating out and sold their furniture. "Anything that basically isn't nailed down, it's up for sale. We're talking about survival at this point," she says.
Then, a family friend suggested they look into a program that helps homeowners pay their bills—home sharing. "She said: 'There's a housing program that will match you up. They'll actually prescreen people, and they'll put you together,'" Laurie says.
Find out more about home sharing.Within days, the Keits were paired with Lori and her 17-year-old daughter, Renee. When her husband was laid off from his auto industry job in Indiana, Lori says she needed to relocate to San Francisco to pick up more hours as a flight attendant. "I had to transfer out here to help my family financially," she says. "I needed to find a safe place for both of us to live."
Two weeks into the home share, both families agree it was the right decision. "It was instant. We knew that we would be okay together," Lori says. "The second I walked into the home, I knew I was home." The Keits say they're now considering renting out another room to someone looking for a place to call home.Stillwater nonprofit offers Minnesota seniors
another way to 'age in place'
GrayTimes Marketplace brings together seniors and their caregivers with providers of services specifically for this audience. www.graytimes.com
2/25/2009
BY LEE KAPLAN—
More and more seniors want to stay in their homes — "age in place." But when chores become too difficult or they have trouble shopping or meeting their bills, many are forced to sell their homes and move — even when their health is okay — because they need a little help.
 A Stillwater nonprofit is pairing seniors with housemates who agree to help around the house in exchange for reduced rent.
HomeShare St. Croix helps seniors who might need help with shopping or housekeeping or want companionship but are otherwise able to live alone. Home owners who need more extensive health or nursing care are not eligible for the program.
The program is an example of the alternatives to senior housing that are springing up around the country, such as "virtual retirement communities" and reflect the desire of seniors to stay in their own homes as long as possible.
Home matchmakers
Using the model of "independence through interdependence," HomeShare St. Croix matches home owners who need some support (for example, with finances, companionship, shopping, or housekeeping) with home seekers who need low-cost housing and are willing to provide services to the home owner in a shared living environment with lower rent. HomeShare serves Washington and Ramsey counties, as well as several neighboring counties in Wisconsin.
Home sharing got its start in the early '80s in southern California, but there are still relatively few programs operating in other parts of the country. The Stillwater organization is the only one of its kind in the state. Since it began in June 2006, HomeShare St. Croix has made nine matches; four of them have lasted more than 16 months.
The program is not restricted to seniors. Younger home owners, particularly single parents, are encouraged to participate. But, currently, all home owner participants are seniors, with the average home owner being 79 1/2 and the average home seeker, 54 years old.
How HomeShare St. Croix works
Home owners are matched with home seekers through a "dating service"-like procedure that involves both parties completing questionnaires. Information gathered includes education, employment and criminal history, housing history, a health overview, and pet ownership. In addition, each party is asked about expectations for space and amenities, services that would be exchanged for housing, hours involved, and overall expectations for the home sharing arrangement.
Screening is thorough. Both home owner and home seeker candidates undergo interviews, criminal background checks and personal reference checks. HomeShare St. Croix staff visit the home owner for an in-home assessment before any match is made.
All match meetings are done with HomeShare staff present. The process continues with multiple phone-calls to both the home owner and home seeker to find what their interests are in one another, the expectations of each, general routine of the individual, location of home, and space available. If each party continues to be interested, a meeting is set up at the homeowner's house. The HomeShare staff and home seeker go to the interview together and discussions are held about what each party is looking for as well as interests and routines. Then as many meetings take place as are needed to verify confidence in the match on the part of both parties. If both agree, a contract is set-up and they begin the 30-day trial period.
HomeShare staff checks in with the home owner and home seeker during the trial period and then at several points during the first year to address any concerns either party may have. The program is designed to create long-term matches; home seekers looking for short term housing are discouraged from applying.
Donor-funded
HomeShare St. Croix gets its funding through community foundations and private donations. A one-time $2,500 fee, paid by the home owner after a successful match following the 30-day trial period, funds the balance of the service. Scholarships are available to home owners who cannot afford the entire fee. There is no lease between the parties and HomeShare St. Croix, because it is not a rental service.
A different kind of matchmaking service celebrates second anniversary
Abby Lindekugel, Stillwater Courier
Published Wednesday, June 18, 2008
A small amount of work in exchange for affordable housing: a win-win situation made possible by HomeShare St. Croix, a non-profit “matchmaking” service.
The group’s most recent match happened right in Lake Elmo. An 87-year-old looking for companionship and safety was matched with a 54-year-old, who was able to provide that.
“What was cute was that during the interview process, she was very concerned that she was going to take advantage of the homeseeker. They will be eating their evening meal together,” Jenny West, Executive Director and lone employee of HomeShare, said.
The organization does not make romantic matches, or employment matches, but rather housing matches.
The non-profit takes one person or family in need of non-medical assistance, such as cooking or cleaning in their home, and pairs them with another person or family who would be able to perform the service and would like to save money by living with the homeowner. The homeowner may ask the homeseeker to contribute to living expenses. According to West, currently half of the matches are set up this way.
The group will celebrate its second anniversary Friday, June 20. HomeShare St. Croix was started in 2006 and has since made eight successful matches in the St. Croix Valley.
Generally, the average age of a homeseeker is 54.5 and the age of the homeowner 87.5. West said that they have not yet reached the college graduate market, although HomeShare is receiving more calls from all ages due to the increasing rate of home foreclosures.
Patricia Weber, now of Stillwater, is one such client. The Woodbury town home she and her husband had been renting with the option to buy was foreclosed on after the owners failed to disclose the adjustable rate mortgage on the property and were not making payments.
“We were between a rock and a hard place, as my husband says. There we were without a place to go. I had left my job after 20 years to work on something new, but that didn’t work out for me. They made budget cuts and I lost my job,” Weber said.
It was after Weber’s mother broke her wrist and she had been living with her parents on the family’s Wisconsin farm that a friend suggested HomeShare. Weber began the application process.
Hopeful HomeSharers go through a process including a five-page application, an interview with West and a criminal background check. Homeowners also go through an in-home assessment. Both homeowners and homeseekers meet beforehand and discuss the living situation, to determine if a match is possible.
“I had no idea that [the homeowner] was in a position to be able to work. When Jenny said he was elderly and had some health issues, I was thinking that I didn’t want to be a nurse. I was just looking for a place to land my things,” Weber said. At the meeting, both were apprehensive, but after talking, they agreed that the living arrangement would work.
Her husband was traveling between Minnesota and California for business at the time, and did not know about the move. He now lives in the home as well. Weber mows the lawn, cooks and does light housekeeping for the homeowner in exchange for a roof over her and her husband’s heads.
After a homeowner and a homeseeker decide to try the match, they begin living together for a 30-day trial. They then pay the one-time $2,500 match fee. Scholarships are available for homeowners who cannot afford to pay the fee.
HomeShare checks in with the match after two weeks, and at the end of the 30 days to make sure that everything is going smoothly. This ensures that the living situation is compatible and the match will work.
“It’s not just a roommate coming in. It is two separate families coming in, and linking up and crossing paths each day,” said West.
HomeShare continues to check in with the match for the first year.
“Oftentimes, after the third month they’re like ‘Everything is going great, leave me alone!’” West said. “But, that’s one of my favorite parts of my job. I also think that it is good for them to know that there is someone there if they need to call.”
In the case of the pair recently matched in Lake Elmo, the homeowner’s daughter lives in the area, and was very excited that someone would be with her mother all of the time, according to West. This is common.
“[The feeling of safety] extends to the family, that someone is there. For example, if they were to fall in the middle of the night, someone would be there to call,” she said.
HomeShare has proven beneficial to both parties.
“It’s been really good for us in a situation that could have turned out really terribly,” said Weber. After a year and a half, she and her husband are currently looking for their own home in the St. Croix Valley. An article from Minnesota Good Age, January 2008
Home is where the help is
Monica Wright
When Cherie Hallberg, 51, saw the flyer posted at the St. Paul Park post office for a small house for rent in Newport, the ad was familiar. Hallberg had rented the same house, a cottage-sized affair built on land behind Frank and Kaye Kraft’s own house, over 20 years earlier. And while she thought the Krafts still owned the property, the flyer encouraged prospective renters to contact an organization called HomeShare St. Croix.
Interested, Hallberg called the number. On the other end of the line was Jenny West, HomeShare St. Croix’s executive director, who is used to people scratching their heads at the mention of the 2-year-old nonprofit that facilitates the matching of homeowners in need of nonmedical support with home seekers willing to move in and help out in exchange for affordable housing. “A lot of times, people will call and say I’ve heard of home sharing, but I don’t know what it is and I didn’t know you were around,” says West.
Opening up the home
While home sharing is not a new concept, HomeShare St. Croix — which is based in Lake Elmo and serves Washington county in Minnesota and St. Croix, Pierce, and Polk counties in Wisconsin — is currently the only organization providing the service in Minnesota. Which is exactly what inspired its creation. Several years ago, Human Services, Inc. (HSI), a nonprofit that serves the metro area, matched Bob Fritts and his wife Peggy, an Alzheimer’s sufferer, with home seeker Judy Sullivan, and it was a pairing that lasted for 30 successful months. Fritts was so happy with the match that, after HSI stopped providing home sharing services, he decided to fill the void with a nonprofit solely focused on connecting home owners with home seekers.
“Our main focus is helping seniors stay in their homes longer,” explains West, a desire 80 percent of senior respondents to a 2004 AARP housing survey stated was important to them. To begin the home sharing process, both homeowners and home seekers get in touch with West, who gets them started on the application process. For homeowners, the desire to host another person stems from a variety of different needs. “A lot of times as seniors age they have only so much energy to do things, and why waste it on cooking and cleaning when they’d rather do something they enjoy?” says West. “I use the word ‘chores’ to explain what homeowners expect [from their HomeShare applicant]: it can include things like transportation, cooking, cleaning, or yard work.”
Once a homeowner submits an application, West performs a home assessment in which she sees what space would be available for a potential home seeker (space can range from a bedroom to an entire basement to a separate cottage) and what type of help the homeowner is looking for. From there, she sorts through home seeker applicants, people who West says apply for a variety of reasons: their marriage has recently dissolved, they have a desire to save money for a down payment on a home, or they are recent arrivals to the area looking to get their bearings. These home seekers fill out an application as well to share what chores they are willing to perform, what hours they would be available, and what type of living situation they are looking for.
Once West has performed background checks on everyone (homeowners pay a one-time $2,500 fee to cover such checks and paperwork, a fee for which scholarships are available), she sets up a meeting between homeowners and home seekers, and if both parties think it’s a fit, West draws up a contract that clearly spells out everyone’s expectations and roles. “Most people know right away from the first meeting whether this will work for them,” says West. “We talk about parking, laundry, what meals might be expected, allergies, even what television shows they watch. I like to put everything on the table so everyone has the same expectations.”
Once a home seeker moves in, West monitors the match each week for the first month, and then more sporadically over the next 11 months. Of the five matches West has made so far, each one has been a success. “All of our matches are different stories. That’s what’s so wonderful about HomeShare and what can be difficult to understand because people ask if they meet the requirements, and of course you meet the requirements because it’s tailored to you,” says West. “It’s all based on your needs and what you’re looking for.”
Frank, Kaye, and Cherie
“Social” is the word Kaye Kraft, 70, uses to describe the life she built with her husband Frank, 72, in Newport. But when Frank became ill and housebound, Kaye’s regular bridge games were traded for care-giving duties. “It’s a demanding, 24-7 job,” says Kraft. “It’s really hard to give up all your night life and the things you normally do.” As an assistant librarian in Washington county for 27 years, Kraft remembered helping patrons search for different assistance and aid, and one specific service stuck out in her mind: home sharing. The Krafts had rented the small cottage behind their house to a variety of tenants over the years, and when Kaye got in touch with West, she realized it would be the perfect fit for a home seeker willing to assist with Frank.
“I knew that if I could put someone in that cottage, it would help me a lot,” says Kraft. “I’d be able to keep my social life going if I had help with the yard work and someone to be a companion to Frank when I’m not home.” Cherie Hallberg, who was living in a townhouse with exorbitant rent and expensive utility bills, filled out an application to return to her former address and give the Krafts a helping hand. West set up a meeting between Hallberg and the Krafts, and after a couple of hours together (and a tour of the cottage, where Hallberg said, “Well, the closet hasn’t grown!”) both sides were ready to give it a try.
Now, six months after Hallberg moved in, it’s the norm to see her warming up soup or fetching cookies for Frank while Kaye visits with friends — and it’s hard to say who is more thankful for whom. “I couldn’t ask for anything better,” says Hallberg, who does yard work like raking and shoveling in addition to spending 10 hours a week with Frank in exchange for reduced rent on the cottage. “Kaye is fantastic and very easy to talk to, and Frank is incredibly sweet.” For Kaye, Hallberg has become a part of the family. “Cherie is always willing to help wherever she can. Frank just took right to her, and she seems to be just what he needs. And it’s been a load off my mind to know that she’s there so I can go play bridge and not have to worry.”
Hallberg has become such a part of the family that she’s not above scolding Kraft if she doesn’t cross the small yard between their homes to ask for assistance. “She’s quick to say, ‘You did that by yourself? That’s too heavy for you!’ if I don’t let her help,” says Kraft with a laugh. While HomeShare St. Croix only monitors matches for one year, home seekers and home sharers often stay together beyond that initial period — and with such a successful match in Newport, Hallberg hopes to be Kaye’s right hand (and heavy lifter) for the foreseeable future. “I think it’s peace of mind for them to know I’m right on the back lot,” says Hallberg. “Anyone who does this would be lucky to get two people like Frank and Kaye because helping them makes me feel really good.”
West says that as the mortgage crisis forces more people to downsize and the aging population expands, she sees HomeShare St. Croix as a way for two different demographics to help each other out, if only for a short time. “I know we’re not the end-all solution for seniors, but at least we can provide them with a little more time to make the decisions about the next move.”
Monica Wright is Minnesota Good Age’s assistant editor.
An article from The Osceola Sun newspaper, 11/27/2007
Trading space: An old-fashioned solution
Kate Bergeron
Contributing Writer
Arlette Soderberg, 90, has an independent spirit.
But failing eyesight forced her to give up driving a year ago, and she doesn't particularly like to cook. She'd really like someone to live with her and do those things for her in exchange for furnished living quarters.
Fortunately, there is an organization available to help her and others in similar situations.
HomeShare St. Croix matches homeowners, such as Soderberg, wanting to maintain their independence with home-seekers willing to exchange non-medical services for affordable housing. The program serves Washington County in Minnesota and Polk, St. Croix and Pierce counties in Wisconsin.
"It's a nice opportunity," said Jenny West, executive director for HomeShare St. Croix. "It gives both individuals their own lives and gives them help as well. Certainly that companionship is important too."
Soderberg, who lives on Deer Lake in St. Croix Falls, has had people live with her before, but she wants someone committed to providing stability to the living arrangement.
"In the wintertime, there's no one else who lives on my road," she said. "I'd like to have someone around in case of emergency."
In exchange for driving and cooking and that stability, she will provide a large, furnished room that occupies the entire upstairs of her house as well as a half bath. The room also has a private balcony overlooking the lake.
As part of the service they offer home-seekers and homeowners, HomeShare St. Croix also provides criminal background checks, checks personal references and monitors the living situation for the first year. Exact time and responsibilities are negotiated before the match is finalized. There is also a 30-day trial period, which allows both people involved to make sure they are happy with the arrangements.
"I completely stay out of the decision-making part of it," West said. "I just bring them together."
The homeowner and the home-seeker decide for themselves what they need from the arrangement. Some homeowners need yard work or laundry done. Others need a companion, West said. Some charge a monthly fee, though most don't. Soderberg is willing to pay to have someone help with her housework, though that's not as essential to her as the driving and cooking.
"I don't feed myself properly without someone cooking for me," she said.
The homeowner pays the $2,500 fee, and scholarships are available.
"We make it work for everybody," West said.
Compatibility and honesty are the two most important components for a good match, West said. The homeowner and the home-seeker should not expect to become immediate friends, but should be able to communicate effectively.
Friendships do tend to develop in time though.
"It's not in the first two or three months, because you're still trying to please each other," West said.
Tina O'Malley Bayonet, housing coordinator for Washington County, says she really likes the idea of HomeShare St. Croix.
"It's something I talk to about with my own mother," she said.
As the population ages and demographics change, she said the need for a service like HomeShare St. Croix increases. People may have lived in their home for decades, but the whole neighborhood has changed. The sense of community has changed.
"They don't know their neighbors. They used to."
Yet, they've also become more private, and it can be difficult for them to open their homes.
HomeShare St. Croix gives them a place to go when they need extra help around the home but may be leery of finding a roommate. HomeShare St. Croix provides a non-threatening third party to facilitate discussion, West said.
The average homeowner is 74; the average home-seeker is 52.
"[Older home-seekers] truly understand what a blessing they receive too," West said. "It's a two-way street."
Bayonet, who previously worked in adult protection services, said it may be a comfort to both parties to know they're sharing a home with someone in the same age group.
"You're not going to get matched with a wild and wooly younger person," she said.
As housing coordinator for Washington County, Bayonet said she receives more calls from people looking for a place to live than from homeowners needing help. Every situation is different. Some people are divorced. Others are widowed. Some are in transition. Some seek sober housing.
HomeShare St. Croix has been in operation since August 2006 and has matched four pairs.
"We're just trying to help that middle bracket that always get missed," West said. "We're a great opportunity for them to get unstuck."
An article from The Citizen newspaper, 10/17/2007
HomeShare St. Croix Marks First Anniversary
STILLWATER - HomeShare St. Croix is a unique program serving the St. Croix Valley that assists those seeking affordable housing and those seeking affordable help in the home, by bringing them together. The program serves Washington County in Minnesota and St. Croix, Pierce and Polk counties in Wisconsin.
HomeShare celebrated its first anniversary this past summer.
The program goal is to help individuals maintain independence by facilitating matches between homeowners and homeseekers who are willing to exchange non-medical services for affordable housing. Such services may include companionship, cooking, simple home maintenance, shopping, transportation, general housekeeping, or other tasks needed to remain independently at home.
Who are Homeseeker candidates?
Homeseeker candidates are adults who would like to reduce living expenses and to provide help to the homeowner in exchange for housing. Some homeseekers may be retired, nearing retirement or in transition through divorce/death of a spouse. Others may be in transition through downsizing, seeking more affordable housing, or they may be engaged in educational pursuits. The homeseeker moving in with the homeowner will most likely be working full or part-time while they provide assistance to the homeowner, as negotiated.
Who are Homeowner candidates?
Homeowner candidates may be older adults who are looking for others to help around the house. A homeowner may also be a single parent, single homeowner or someone simply wanting to have a presence in their home.
Exact services and time devoted to them are negotiated between the Homeseeker and Homeowner. Once a match has been made, staff will continue to monitor and support the matches made.
Both homeowner and homeseeker candidates are carefully screened and undergo interviews, criminal background and personal reference checks. HomeShare staff also visit the homeowner’s home for an in-home assessment. Both the homeowner and homeseeker must be flexible, able to communicate effectively, and willing to agree upon expectations for the match to be successful.
HomeShare candidates must be at least 18 years of age. Otherwise, HomeShare St. Croix offers its services without regard to race, color, religion preferences, gender, marital status, age, ethnic origin, sexual preferences, or disability.
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