New Encinitas Housing Program Helps Seniors, Low-Income Residents

ENCINITAS, CA: To maximize the use of current housing while supporting senior and low income residents, the city of Encinitas is partnering with ElderHelp, a local nonprofit helping seniors remain independent and live with dignity in their own homes, to provide a one-year HomeShare program.

Through a $15,000 grant from the city of Encinitas, the HomeShare program in Encinitas will match seniors who want to remain in their own homes with screened and qualified adults of all ages who are in need of affordable housing. As many interested and eligible seniors as possible will be helped through the one-year HomeShare program.

Spearheading this partnership to fulfill their 2015-2016 work plan goal of maximizing housing options for Encinitas’ seniors was the Encinitas Senior Citizen Commission. A true win-win, HomeShare provides independence, security, financial help, mediation and support to both older adults and low income residents in the Encinitas community.

“The city of Encinitas remains committed to serving all of our businesses and residents, and that includes seniors and residents with low income,” said Alan Lerchbacker of the Encinitas Senior Citizen Commission. “The HomeShare partnership is a unique program that serves both of those groups while also alleviating some housing pressure within the community in the short term without a single new home being constructed.”

The HomeShare Program matches homeowners, who are primarily seniors, with individuals in the community seeking an affordable place to live. In exchange for sharing their home, homeowners are compensated through affordable, below market, rent or services such as cooking, household chores, grocery shopping, transportation, gardening, running errands or other assistance.

ElderHelp will work to identify eligible homes through in-home interviews and screenings of all potential homes and home providers. They will also work to identify eligible home seekers and will provide a thorough background check. Once a match is made, ElderHelp will conduct a match visit to facilitate an agreement outlining the terms of the match.

Since 1973, ElderHelp has been supporting seniors with services and information to help them remain independent and live with dignity in their own homes. ElderHelp offers a variety of programs under their umbrella of services, and HomeShare is one of them.

For more information regarding ElderHelp’s HomeShare program, visit the HomeShare webpage or contact HomeShare Coordinator Shanika Webb at 619-284-9281 or swebb@elderhelpofsandiego.org.

—News release submitted by the city of Encinitas