Homeshare & Homeshare Care in Dallas County
We match people who have more home than they need with people who need a place to live, anywhere in Dallas County.
Who shares a home
A typical home provider is a woman who has outlived her husband and heads her household. Her family is busy raising their own children, and her friends have aged along with her and work to stay independent too. She is house rich and money poor: utilities, upkeep, and taxes are hard to pay.
She looks for a housemate who can help a little with costs and a lot with daily life: company, help with chores, and a sense of security.
We also help young widows and divorced people who need a housemate mainly to help pay the mortgage and utilities.
Home seekers come from all walks of life: students, people starting a second career, recently divorced people, families with low incomes, people out of work, people and families who are homeless, women and children fleeing domestic violence, and single women leaving abusive partners.
Everyone wants a match based on shared interests and what they can afford.
Homeshare Care
In 2004, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), we added Homeshare CARE to the Homeshare program. It offers help with rent along with structured support:
- Case management
- Assistance finding community resources
- Rental support
- Empowerment
Homeshare CARE support lasts no more than 12 months.
Who can take part
- Home providers who live in Dallas County and can offer a private bedroom
- Home seekers who want to live in Dallas County and share a home
- Everyone must be 21 or older
Our promise
We make sure each arrangement meets the needs and wishes of the people in it. Each match should help not only them, but the whole community, by keeping people in their homes and offering new kinds of housing.
Homeshare welcomes people of every culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, income, and generation. What matters most is safety, comfort, and a sense of self-worth.
What our staff do
- Talk with you by phone
- Meet with you to talk about your housing needs, preferences, concerns, and expectations
- Screen carefully, with criminal background and reference checks
- Visit the home
- Help with a trial period and a written agreement
- Keep helping so your match succeeds
- Find a new match if the first one ends
- Refer you to other services when that would help
Our services, step by step
Homeshare and Homeshare Care both include these services. Open each one to learn more.
Intake and screening
- We explain the program, including its requirements and history.
- We explain how the process works and what to expect.
Reference checks
- A criminal background check
- A personal background check
Housing options counseling
- If Homeshare isn’t a good fit, we suggest other housing options and make referrals.
- We suggest other options that can support or add to a homeshare arrangement.
Home inspection and first interview
- A visit to check that the home and neighborhood are safe.
- A visit to learn the applicant’s needs, expectations, preferences, and concerns.
Community referrals
After the visit, we refer home providers to services they may need, such as home repairs or home health care.
Introductions
- We stay in touch with everyone so they feel comfortable during first interviews and phone calls.
- We set up home visits with possible housemates.
- We join the interviews to go over the details with both sides and talk through any questions or concerns.
Help with homesharing agreements
- Setting up and keeping short-term (temporary) agreements
- Setting up and keeping long-term agreements
Follow-up
- Checking that everyone is happy with the arrangement
- Helping settle disagreements (mediation)
- Staying in touch for special occasions, like birthdays and the anniversary of the match
Interested in Homeshare?
Call us to talk it through. We’ll explain how it works and what comes next.