A new home sharing program intended to pair Maine seniors struggling to stay in their larger homes with young renters began accepting guest applications this week.
MaineHousing, the state housing authority, is behind the pilot program. Earlier this year, the agency signed a nearly $200,000 contract with Nesterly, a platform that originated as a startup in Boston, and allows homeowners to list extra rooms online.
As of Monday morning, there were 13 home shares listed on the platform across three regions of Maine. Five are in central Maine, eight in southern Maine and none are currently active in northern Maine.
The rents for the Maine home shares range from $600 to just over $2,000 a month, and the types of living arrangements on offer vary, too. Some whole homes are listed, like an antique farmhouse with mountain views in the western Maine town of Lovell, or this 3-bedroom home in Hermon. Others are only putting up a room and intend to share space with the renter.
Some of these listings are bargains relative to their areas. A room in a 2-bedroom condo in downtown Portland is listed on the site for $800, with utilities included. Meanwhile, there are no apartment listings available in Portland for less than $1,000 a month, according to Zillow.
The program is supposed to aid cost-burdened seniors in Maine age in place while giving them companionship and help around the house as they get older. While conducting initial research into home sharing, MaineHousing officials found that many seniors were receptive to the idea of generating some extra income with a renter. However, a majority had safety concerns.
Nesterly performs background checks on all renters and homeowners, coordinates a first meeting between parties and drafts a lease agreement, too. The platform also collects rent payments and can dispatch trained staff to help with conflict resolution.
That there are few listings on offer in Maine appears to be typical of Nesterly. In most of the other cities where the platform is active, save Greater Boston, there are only a handful of home shares available. The hope for MaineHousing is that as word gets out about the program, more homeowners will list their properties.
“It’s a great opportunity to help address our housing crisis and form new connections,” Rep. Maggie O’Neil, D-Saco, who sponsored the law that created the program, said in a statement.
