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Senior Roommates Matched as Way To Bring Affordable Housing to Elderly

 Cynthia Adolphson (left), became a guest at the home of Enid Holt (right) through the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens' Home Sharing program.
Cynthia Adolphson (left), became a guest at the home of Enid Holt (right) through the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens' Home Sharing program.
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New York Foundation for Senior Citizens

BROOKLYN — Following the death of her husband, Freda Schaeffer found her Brooklyn home feeling empty.

“I wanted someone to live with me, to share the house,” Schaeffer, 85, said of her Midwood property. “Since he died, I don’t like to be alone at night, or all the time.”

A friend recommended a home-sharing program through the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, which connects older people in need of housing with a host, or those with a spare room with a tenant.

“I’ve had several people matched and it worked out successfully,” Schaeffer said.

“I get financial help because I’m on a limited income and there are numerous expenses in maintaining the house, and I get some companionship.”

Schaeffer is one of the more than 2,000 individuals throughout the city that NYFSC has matched through its Home Sharing program since its inception in 1981, according to Linda Hoffman, president of the foundation.

Community organizers and elected officials are looking to expand the program in Bedford-Stuyvesant to help seniors as part of its “Age-friendly Neighborhood” initiative.

One of the goals is to address the ever-growing demand for affordable housing in a changing area, according to Stefani Zinerman, chief of staff for Councilman Robert Cornegy.

“We’ve received many inquiries from seniors and others about their housing needs,” Zinerman said, adding that some older constituents are homeless and continually moving from one friend’s house to another, or sometimes sleeping on the street.

“This is a really critical issue.”

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The councilman’s office hosted an open house for the Home Sharing program in May, inviting “empty nesters” and those looking for affordable housing alternatives to participate. The meeting was first reported by Kings County Politics.

Under the model, one of the match mates must be age 60 or older, whether they’re a host or a guest.

The city and state-funded program also serves hosts who are age 55 or older who can share their homes with developmentally disabled tenants.

NYFSC conducts in-depth screenings for both parties, checking references and determining compatibility based on their preferences and lifestyle.

Once a match is made, the organization can help facilitate written agreements on the housing conditions.

For seniors who are often living on fixed incomes, the program helps with their finances, Hoffman said.

Non-seniors can also be guests or hosts and the elderly can receive help with day-to-day tasks, including housework or shopping, depending on their agreement.

“People always think of affordable housing as a building, and now with the lack of affordable housing both for elderly and non-elderly alike, Home Sharing is becoming yet another affordable housing and viable housing option,” Hoffman said.

“People who are actors, students, people coming from all over the world, they really have difficulty in finding decent roommates on their own in places where they can afford it.”

Some matches have lasted for up to 20 years, and there’s no cost for the screening and services from NYFSC, organizers added.

Loretta Halter, 66, moved to New York from Georgia in 2012 to retire. She was paired with Schaeffer, and has been living in her Brooklyn home for the past year.

“It’s a joy to know Freda and her wonderful family who visits,” Halter said, adding that Home Sharing through NYFSC gave her a “safe” way to find housing in the city.

“I don’t ever have to worry if they send me to a place to check out or talk to someone who has a room for rent, I have complete confidence in them,” Halter said.

“There’s just so many other ways that are scary, like Craigslist. Here, they’re so careful. It’s an ideal situation in New York and otherwise I would have been in a bind as far as finding a safe, enjoyable, affordable place to live.”