Home Match: Connecting Folks with Extra Rooms to New Roommates

This could be you and your new bestie kicking it at Dolores Park.

Every once in a while, you come across an idea that makes you stop and say, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that?” Kinda like Post-it notes or those PopSocket things you put on the back of your phone so you can hold it better when taking selfies. These are concepts so simple, yet brilliant, that you’re amazed they haven’t always existed.

That’s how I feel about a shared housing program called Home Match. Simply put, Home Match connects people who are seeking housing with older adults – or anyone actually – who have extra space in their homes. You can check out their site right here.

Brilliant, right?

Whether it’s an extra room in a house or apartment, or getting someone into an unused in-law unit, Home Match is putting a dent in the housing crisis without having to go through all the red tape of building more housing in San Francisco.

Given that San Francisco tenant law is more labyrinthine than trying to rescue a baby from a David Bowie Goblin King, Home Match helps home providers navigate all the twists and turns. This means they will walk you through the whole process, clarifying anything that’s confusing, and provide support even after roommates move-in together

But Home Match is also doing more than just hooking people up as roommates like a modern-day refresh of the Odd Couple. By connecting these folks, they are also decreasing isolation, providing housing security, and importantly, building community. It’s not often that you can find good news like this in a housing crisis.

Looking for More Home Providers

As you might imagine, during a housing crisis there are far more people looking for housing than there are offering it, so right now Home Match is seeking more people to share their homes.

And there are lots of perks to sharing your home – other than having someone to explain what the hell a Brat Summer is. For example:

– It’s an opportunity to earn additional income, which helps a lot considering a sandwich at Molinari is now almost $20.

– It’s a way to fight loneliness. You’ll have someone to watch the Great British Bake Off with or even just someone to chat with when you get home.

– Your roommate might be able to help with tasks that get difficult as you get older, like taking out the trash or pet sitting. And for doing so, you can offer them reduced rent.

– You’ll have the added benefit of a social connection for both of you.

You don’t have to own your home either. Many home providers are master tenants have lived there for years and have empty rooms.

Holy Smokes! It’s almost time for the Great British Bake Off!

Screening

We’ve all heard nightmare roommate stories, and if you’ve lived in San Francisco long enough, you might even have a few of your own (I’m looking at you Chris). Luckily the folks at Home Match have thought about that and act as partners throughout the process to make sure everything is hunky-dory. They do this by:

Screening Participants Thoroughly

Home Match does more than just give cursory income and background checks, they meet with each participant and find out their wants and needs. Unlike that time you answered a Craigslist ad thinking it was an apartment and it ended up being a scam.

Making Personal Introductions

Like a matchmaker, Home Match wants you to have the best connection possible, so they stay with you through every step of the process.

Facilitating Lease Agreements

When Sartre famously wrote, “Hell is other people” he just might’ve been talking about having bad roommates. But as someone who has probably had over 50 of them throughout my life, the key to living in harmony is communication and setting expectations. Home Match obviously knows this because they facilitate lease agreements that get down into the nitty-gritty like, what things in the house are shared, who has which shelf in the pantry, and what are preferred quiet hours..

Ongoing Support

In rare instances, even with all the communication and expectation setting, some roommates just don’t vibe (once again, looking at you Chris). Since Home Match is your partner through the entirety of the program, they will also take active measures to help make sure you feel supported. So, if things go south, they are there to help mediate any problems that arise.

Success Stories

Here’s are just a few success stories:

Glen and Alihan in Noe Valley

The home provider in this match is a veteran and a retired banker. He had been living in his apartment for 53 years when his husband passed, and wanted a roommate for companionship and financial security. He ended up being matched with a home seeker from Turkey who came to San Francisco with just a few personal belongings, landed a new job, and needed an affordable place to live. They bonded over their shared love of birds and signed the lease soon after. The happy homemates were featured in an on-air story by the Bay Area’s local news station KPIX.

Norman and Delia in Bernal Heights

A longtime SF native joined Home Match as a financial necessity and felt that home sharing is homier than living alone. Due to back pain, he was having a hard time getting around the house and needed help. He was matched with a seeker who had 10 years of experience living with an older adult and was open to helping out around the house. Their shared interest about arts and literature created an ideal match.

A match made in heaven? Maybe!

Home Match is doing exactly what their name suggests. Not only are they stopping homelessness before it starts, they’re also building community one room at a time.

Want to join the program? Find out more on their website.

This article was sponsored by Home Match