Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Home Sharing an ideal solution

...landlords and tenants [find] each other through the Home Sharing Program sponsored by the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens.

In the last two years, the number of participants in the free program has doubled as the demand for affordable housing around the city has increased.

For those who need help paying bills, the program also is a solution.


Program matches seniors with tenants

"I have a mortgage to pay, and there are people who need a place to stay," said Marie Vieux, a retired nurse in Kingsbridge, the Bronx. "This program really helps me financially."

Home Sharing, which dates to 1981, was set up to help people 60 and older remain in their homes or apartments, said foundation president Linda Hoffman.

Queens has the largest number of participants, with 22, followed by Brooklyn, 14, the Bronx, 9, Manhattan, 8, and Staten Island, 2.

Applicants go through a rigorous process that includes interviews, a home visit and references.

A match isn't made until the tenant, or guest, and the homeowner, or host, have met and agreed to share a living space.


Isn't this preferable to destroying neighborhoods and segregating the elderly by building 'senior housing' - another favorite tweeder phrase and tactic?

11 comments:

georgetheatheist said...

What? Only 2 bottles in the wine rack!

Anonymous said...

This is a terrific idea and a much better solution for the elderly. Sometimes an elder person simply wishes to have someone nearby to maintain independece. For a young prospective tenent that is mature this can be a godsend with modest rent and independence. Bravo to this program - a win win for all.

Anonymous said...

Soon we may all be "looking forward"
to living like post 1917 revolution Soviets.

The small Manhattan shoe box apartments
that are currently occupied by one or two
will probably wind up getting divided
into a series of smaller closet like spaces
to supply our demand for a much needed
increase in affordable"living" space
(or to house more illegal immigrants).

This is by the order of the Supreme Soviet....
in fulfilling their new economic initiative.

Premier Bloomberg has spoken!

Anonymous said...

What a perfect solution to several problems.

But, since no politician can get credit for the good it does, and nobody can be taxed, there will be some moronic politician or official who discovers how wrong this is and sets out to destroy the setup.

Jennifer said...

In this day and age this is just unreal to me. Home sharing because there isn't afford housing - it sounds like a step backwards.

Anonymous said...

"Jennifer said...
In this day and age this is just unreal to me. Home sharing because there isn't afford housing - it sounds like a step backwards."

Who needs affordable housing? The politicians, who want to be the distributors and controllers of where people live.

The elderly want to have a companion who will be there in the event of injury or illness. But, more than that, isn't it great that an older person can actually talk to someone, and that a young person can actually act in the interest of someone else?

Relax, Jennifer. That people are self sufficient and happy is not cause for concern or government intervention.

Anonymous said...

good arrangement for a young person looking for an affordable dive, so long as they could put up with being called "sonny boy" and the like.

Anonymous said...

There used to be a racist riddle
going around in the early 1950s.

"How many Puerto Ricans
can you squeeze into one apartment"?

Doubling and tripling up is an old idea !

Everybody has got a right to live
and all of us good people get by as best we can.

H-m-m-m.....
did I hear somebody ask
"What about their quality of life"?

NYC didn't care much.
They were among the original "tweeded" !

Anonymous said...

Lets tear down the 1st Presbyterian Church of Astoria and use PUBLIC MONEY to help a church stay solvent. Put a 9 story HANAC monster in the middle of the block. Well, it does cover a failed ministry, eh?

Or how about that wonderful senior warehouse being built by bullyboy HANAC, 15 stories, right off the Grand Central next to a poorly designed intersection.

We can also look at those HANAC beauties on 21st Street, built on a swamp.

What is it with those folks at HANAC, always building a senior wareshouse on a busy street in an area not designed for the load.

What is it with them?

Anonymous said...

Don't forget machine mavin Demico son who torn down a 1828 Astoria namesake, perhaps built on a cemetary for his lovely senior barracks.

Anonymous said...

CB1, the community board from hell.

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