House sharing app in Maine provides alternative to high rental market

Maine (WABI) - Maine’s housing crisis isn’t anything new.

But a collaboration between Maine Housing and a social media app is taking a new approach to solving the shortage.

“This is really a platform that connects individuals who are looking for roommates, may have space in their home, with individuals who are looking for a place to live,” explains Dan Brennan, director of MaineHousing.

Last year, the Maine legislature passed a bill to create what’s known as intergenerational home sharing. Earlier this year, MaineHousing agreed to invest $200,000 in the pilot program by signing on with the home sharing app Nesterly.

“It hits an area that we don’t really, historically haven’t had programming for,” Brennan says.

Both potential hosts and home seekers go through an extensive vetting process by Nesterly. Once approved, home owners create listings on the app that include things like whether the room has a private bath and/or entrance, or if they’re pet friendly.

Home seekers then can use various filters like location, length of stay and rental fee boundaries, to find a place that best suits their needs.

“There are many in this situation of being property rich by cash flow poor,” says Dr. Thomas Meuser, the director of the Center for Excellence in Aging and Health at the University of New England.

Meuser says this program isn’t like an Air BnB or VRBO.

“Part of the agreement is to go beyond just a rental/tenant agreement,” he explains. “And to consider ways that the relationship can be synergistic.”

For example, in exchange for a lesser rental fee, house seekers might agree to shovel snow from the steps and driveway in the winter. Or perhaps cat sit when the homeowner is out of town.

“Or maybe the responsibility is simply agreeing to a shared dinner every other week,” suggests Meuser.

Nesterly’s comprehensive background check includes national, county, federal and state criminal records checks, the global watch list, sex offender registry, SSN trace and address history and FACIS National Search. Additionally, at least two references are contacted for every user. And renters must provide employment verification or proof of school enrollment if applicable.

Once approved, conversations between potential home seekers and home owners are monitored by Nesterly’s support team.

Once a match is made, Nesterly will help with lease agreements and collect rental payments. And, their team checks in with homeowners and housemates every six months.

“It’s really bringing together what we know is an advantage that an older adults home can provide in the communities where they live, with meeting the need for housing that we see in the younger population,” says Dr. Patricia Oh, program manager for the UMaine Center on Aging.

Oh says research done by the UMaine Center on Aging shows promising results for this type of supportive housing.

“People who are 70 and older report the greatest benefit of participating in this relationship,” she says. “They feel safe, happier and less lonely.”

Oh notes using a formal platform like Nesterly increases the likelihood that these relationships will work out.

“Students in the health sciences could learn so much about aging by living with someone whose older and being a part of their world,” adds Meuser.

“More and more older Mainers are living alone,” says Brennan.” I am really hopeful that this is something that will help contribute to the solutions of affordable housing.”

On May 15, the UNE Legacy Scholars and UMaine Center on Aging.are hosting a free, online informational workshop regarding how to use the Nesterly app. Click here to find out more information including how to register for the event.

Nesterly is currently accepting applications for both homeowners looking to rent out a room and home seekers.

MaineHousing’s contract with Nesterly is for one year.

The plan is to review the results at the end of 2024 and evaluate where to go from there.

In 2019, UNE’s Center for Excellence in Aging and Health conducted a focus group on this topic with high positive feedback.