New pilot program pairs elderly with younger adults looking for affordable housing
LONDON: A new pilot program will pair elderly with younger adults looking for affordable housing.
Older adults struggle to keep their homes, while younger ones struggle to find a place they can afford.
Homeowner Linda Edgerton is now retired and on a fixed income.
She wishes her property taxes, electricity, heat and water bills were fixed as well.
“The water bill has gone up. My taxes,” Edgerton said. “All the bills. Groceries. Everything. Everything’s gone up. It’s whether or not I’m going to be able to afford to stay.”
MaineHousing’s new pilot program and $200,000 contract with “Nesterly” may be the answer she and other older Mainers are looking for.
Nesterly pairs homeowners, mostly retirees and empty nesters, with younger adults looking for an affordable place to live.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Edgerton said. “I think it’s probably a fit that’s going to have to be very unique to the situations.”
MaineHousing says support is in place to ensure safety. There are background checks on renters and homeowners.
Nesterly will also coordinate the first meeting, draft a lease agreement, collect rent payments and can dispatch staff to help resolve any conflicts.
“They can get help getting matched with somebody that they’re compatible with,” Rep. Maggie O’Neil (D-Saco) said.
O’Neil sponsored the bill for the pilot project.
“There are about 500,000 empty bedrooms in Maine right now,” O’Neil said. “Let’s say they have a big house with three bedrooms in it, and it’s just them living at home, and they’re older and they might want some help with shoveling or maybe walking the dog. You get the companionship. That young person can get an affordable place to live.”
“They do a few things for me like mow the lawn or shovel the snow,” Edgerton said. “And then in return, they just pay some of the utilities and not really a rent. So, that would still help me.”
Nesterly Founder and CEO Noelle Marcus says the platform should open this week for Maine hosts and says in a few months they’ll be recruiting guests.
Nesterly says their average rents are 20-30 percent lower than market rates and oftentimes they include utilities. It’s something to consider as an alternative to the high rents in Maine.
