Isabelle, a widow living with multiple sclerosis, faced two options in her late-70s: move to a nursing home, or have someone live with her. She strongly preferred the latter, but didn’t know anyone who could move in.
Margaret, meanwhile, faced challenges of her own. Her divorce in her mid-50s had left her unable to afford an apartment. She had a full-time job. She just needed to save up until she could make proper living arrangements.
A popular home sharing program provided by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota brought the two together. “Isabelle received the support she needed to continue living independently,” said Joan Palmquist with the Eden Prairie Housing Alliance. “By the time her health required that she receive greater care, Margaret had become self-sufficient. And the friendship and kindness they shared along the way? It was truly a win-win situation – just beautiful.”
“LSS ran a home sharing program from the 1980s through the early 2000s,” explained Mary Speer, manager of program development. “Team members in older adult services at LSS remembered it. They began discussing it again as housing costs were rising across the Twin Cities, where nearly four in 10 renters now spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent.
“They believed such a program was due for a revival – and they weren’t the only ones.”
Now the LSS Home Matching Service is making a comeback, and generating great interest across the seven-county metro area.
“Several years ago, Eden Prairie created a task force charged with recommending affordable housing ordinances for the city,” said Joan. “Once it disbanded, multiple members continued on to found the Eden Prairie Housing Alliance in 2022. We recently decided to pursue one recommendation that was made yet never acted upon: to pilot test an older adult shared housing program. PROP had considered starting one sooner, but the pandemic put a halt to their work.
“Our focus was too broad when we first started out. We were attempting to boil the ocean. But then we connected with LSS, and an incredible partnership formed.”
Joan initially reached out to LSS to seek guidance from anyone who had been involved with its previous home sharing program. “Little did she know, we had already decided to renew it through our innovative Incubator program,” said Mary. “It takes ideas from team members who are closest to the needs of communities, evaluates them with expertise from outside professionals, and then test pilots them.”
LSS began taking applications in mid-summer, and has been fine-tuning the process of matching homeowners with home seekers with safety for both as a key priority.
Homeowners might apply because they have interest in financial support, need household assistance, or both, or simply because they seek a greater sense of security and companionship. Once the homeowner and home seeker have completed thorough background checks, they are introduced to one another.
“If the two hit it off, we’ll provide the lease agreement,” said Mary. “A social worker will then begin paying monthly visits, just to make sure the arrangement is working and help negotiate any issues that may have sprung up.”
Generally, home seekers are looking for more affordable housing options and a meaningful way to make a difference in the lives of others. “They are often young adults, college students, or recently divorced singles,” said Mary. “Many are budding professionals, who are having a hard time finding their footing on their first salary. These are especially valuable to a city like Eden Prairie, where booming industry needs aspiring talent.
“The LSS Home Matching Service is a pure expression of our community’s love for one another; a way to keep older adults in their homes for as long as possible, and give others a fast track toward financial independence. Truly, everyone benefits.”
If you would like to learn more about the LSS Home Matching Service, or you or a loved one is interested in participating, please call (651) 255-2335 or visit LSSMN.org/LSSHomeMatchingService. To learn more about the Eden Prairie Housing Alliance and shared housing, visit EPHousingAlliance.com.