South San Francisco, CA September 3, 2015 Submitted by HIP HOUSING 
Do you know anyone looking for a housemate or renter, or trying to rent out a room in their home? HIP Housing’s non-profit Home Sharing program can help make that a safe, comfortable process. HIP Housing has given free, long-term support to those who need it most in San Mateo County for 42 years. This is especially important now, as our county has become one of the most expensive areas to live in within the United States. The need for extra income is a common one, and renting out a room in your home is a great way to reduce costs and help your community. TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS HOME SHARING OPPORTUNITIES OR OTHER AVAILABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTACT 650-348-6660 x303 or visit CLICK HERE
NEW: With support from the City of Fremont, HIP Housing’s Home sharing program was launched in Fremont on August 1st. The program will serve persons who have a room to rent who live in Fremont, Newark and Union City and persons who are seeking housing who currently live or work in Fremont. A Frequently Asked Questions flyer about the program is shared at the bottom of this article.
HOMES SHARES FOR RENT
Daly City: Furnished/unfurnished bedroom available in a 3BR/2BA home. Rent is $400 with a $400 deposit. Home is located near public transportation. Street parking and laundry are both available. Home owner does not smoke, and will not accept a smoker. They do not own any pets and cannot accept any pets. Home owner is looking to share home with a mature female who will be able to cook, clean, drive to errands for reduced rent.
Daly City: Furnished or unfurnished bedroom to rent in a 3BR/2BA home. Rent is $900 with a $500 deposit. Kitchen use and street parking are both available. No pets. Home owner does not smoke and will not accept a smoker. Seeking quiet and clean housemate.
East Palo Alto: Furnished/unfurnished bedroom available in a 2BR/1 BA home. Rent is $700 with a $400 deposit. Home is located near public transportation. Off street parking is available. Home owner does not smoke and cannot accept a smoker. Several small dogs live in the home but no additional pets can be accepted.
East Palo Alto: Unfurnished bedroom available in a 3BR/1BA home. Rent is $800 with a $500 deposit. Kitchen use and off street parking are both available. Home is located near public transportation. Home owner does not smoke, and will not accept a smoker. They do not own any pets and will not accept pets.
Menlo Park: Furnished/unfurnished bedroom available in a 2 BR/1 BA apartment. Rent is $1,000 with a $1,000 deposit. Off street parking is available. Home is located near public transportation. Owner smokes outside and will accept an outside smoker. Owner also owns 2 cats but cannot accept any more pets.
Redwood City: Unfurnished room available in a 2 BR/2BA apartment. Rent is $800 with a $200 deposit. Home is located near public transportation. Laundry and street parking are both available. Owner does not smoke, and will not accept a smoker. They do not own any pets and cannot accept pets. They are looking for a mature housemate who does not smoke or drink alcohol.
San Bruno: Furnished bedroom available in a 2 BR/1.5 BA home. Rent is $800 with a $350 deposit. Street parking and kitchen use are both available. Home is located near public transportation, mall, police station, airport, and many restaurants. Smoking and pets are not allowed in the home. Owner is looking for a kind, honest and calm housemate to share home with.
San Mateo: Furnished bedroom in a 3 BR/2 BA home. Rent is $200 with a $200 deposit. Laundry, street parking, and kitchen use are all available. Home is located near public transportation. Smoking and pets are not allowed in the home. Owner is looking for a retired female with a car that can help with cook, cleaning, errands and laundry for reduced rent.
San Mateo: Unfurnished room in a 4BR/3BA home. Rent is $900 a month with a $900 deposit. Street parking and kitchen use are both available. Owner does not smoke and will not accept a smoker. Also, pets are not allowed. Room has a private bathroom and entry into home. They are looking for a working housemate to share home with.
South San Francisco: Furnished or unfurnished bedroom to rent in a 3 BR/2BA. Rent is $700 a month with a $700 deposit. Home is located near public transportation. Street parking and kitchen use are both available. Owner does not smoke and will not accept a smoker. They do not own any pets and will not accept pets. Owner is looking for a working or retired housemate to share home with.
If you have a room to rent in your home or a separate unit on your property, please consider registering with HIP Housing’s Home Sharing program and ask about our $250 incentive program. There is no cost to participate in the program.
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RENTERS SEEKING A HOME
Male seeking either furnished or unfurnished bedroom to rent from Brisbane to San Carlos. Seeker is able to pay $1,100 a month for rent. Seeker is a non-smoker and does not want to live with a smoker. He does not own any pets, but will accept all pets except cats. He spends most of his time at work, and on his free time, he enjoys fishing and photography.
Female seeking either furnished or unfurnished bedroom to rent from So. San Francisco to Menlo Park. Seeker is able to pay
$850 a month for rent. She is a non-smoker, who will accept living with an outside smoker. She does not own any pets but will accept living with pets. She is a full time student and spends most of her time studying or at school. When she has free time she enjoys working out or watching movies. She is looking for someone respectful, polite and clean to share home with.
Female senior seeking either furnishes or unfurnished bedroom in San Mateo only. She is able to pay $1,000 per month for rent. She is nonsmoker who cannot live with a smoker. She does not own any pets but will accept living with dogs. Seeker spends most of her time working and will only be at home on the weekdays and traveling on the weekends.
Female seeking unfurnished bedroom from San Bruno to Menlo Park. She is able to pay $400 a month for rent. She is a non- smoker, who will not accept living with a smoker. She does not own any pets but will accept pets. She is looking for someone who is honest, respectful and kind. She spends most of her time working and caring for her mother.
Female senior seeking either furnished or unfurnished bedroom to rent from Burlingame to San Carlos. Seeker is able to pay
$1,500 a month for rent. She is a non-smoker, and will not accept living with a smoker. She does not own any pets but will accept living with dogs. She is looking for someone who does not smoke or do drugs to share home with. She spends most of her time helping her parents and practicing playing her flute.
Male seeking either furnished or unfurnished bedroom to rent from Daly City to San Mateo. Seeker is able to pay $800 a month for rent. He does not smoke and cannot live with a smoker. Seeker does not own any pets, but will accept living with pets. He is looking for someone who is clean and organized to share home with. Seeker spends most of his time working and on his free time, he enjoys working out.
Female seeking unfurnished room to rent from Millbrae to Belmont. Seeker is able to pay $800 a month for rent. She is non- smoker who will not accept living with a smoker. She does not own pets but will accept pets. She is looking for someone clean and organized to share home with. She spends most of her time working, as a teacher.
Male seeking furnished/unfurnished room to rent from Millbrae to Redwood City. Seeker is able to pay $1,000 a month for rent. He is a nonsmoker who will not live with a smoker. He does not own pets and will not want to live with pets. Spends his time at work and enjoys going to the gym and attending church.
Female senior seeking unfurnished room from Daly City to Menlo Park. She is able to pay $2,000 a month for rent. She does not smoke, but will live with a smoker. She owns 2 cats and will accept living with other pets. She spends her time working and gardening on her free time.
Female seeking unfurnished room to rent from Daly City to San Mateo. She is able to pay $700 a month for rent. She is an outside medical marijuana smoker who will accept living with another marijuana smoker. She does not own any pets but will accept living with pets. She spends most of her time working, and on her free time she enjoys exercising.
Home Sharing s Self-Sufficiency for Families s Property Development
Thank you for referring your clients, friends, family, neighbors, employees and others in need of housing.
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If you are interested in either renting a room or have a room to rent out please contact HIP HOUSING directly. Everything South City has no further information as we are simply sharing this for our community’s benefit.
TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS HOME SHARING OPPORTUNITIES OR OTHER AVAILABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTACT 650-348-6660 x303 or visit www.hiphousing.org
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Shared Housing Comes to Fremont!
HIP Housing (Human Investment Project)
City of Fremont’s Human Services Department Administrative Office
3300 Capitol Avenue, Building B, Fremont CA 94538 Ph: 510-574-2173 www.hiphousing.org
Frequently Asked Questions About The Home Sharing Program
- How does home sharing work?
HIP Housing, a nonprofit organization, has been connecting Home owners or renters (Home Providers) who have a residence with one or more bedrooms, with persons seeking housing (Home Seekers) to pay rent or exchange services for reduced rent. HIP Housing’s home sharing program has been operating in San Mateo County, CA since 1979 and is now in the City of Fremont as of August 1, 2015.The program will serve those who are seeking housing who live or work in the City of Fremont and persons with a room to rent who live in Fremont, Newark and Union City.
Two types of arrangements can be facilitated: rent and service exchanges. In a rent exchange, a home seeker moves in with a home provider and pays rent and possibly utilities. In a service exchange, non-medical care such as helping with meals, shopping, cleaning, companionship and doing errands, are exchanged for reduced rent. There are generally more rent exchanges than service exchanges. Each person has their own space and share common areas. Each person has their own space and share common areas. Sometimes clients share a one bedroom unit with one person taking the living room space and the other taking the bedroom. After clients are interviewed by a HIP Housing coordinator, clients are given referrals and contact potential housemates on their own using a guide provided by the agency. HIP Housing’s Home Sharing Coordinators help complete Living Together Agreements between housemates and provide follow-up support.
- What are the benefits of Home Sharing?
Whether a home provider or home seeker, one of the reasons persons decide to home share is because they find it difficult to afford housing costs on their own. For those hoping to find an affordable or low-income housing unit, they may encounter long or closed waiting lists. The reality of getting low-income housing within a short period of time isn’t likely. That’s why home sharing can be a unique housing option. Some clients home share until they are able to find subsidized or low-income housing while others choose home sharing as a way to keep their housing costs affordable on a long-term basis.
For home providers, with someone else living in the home they are able to continue living in their own home and neighborhood. Additional benefits of home sharing allow home providers to save money, put the extra income toward other personal or housing expenses, experience a sense of security, enjoy companionship and maintain independence.
With market rents unattainable for many, home sharing gives home seekers an affordable room in a home atmosphere. Many home sharers receive mutual benefits of companionship and security, the opportunity to help the home provider and being able to save money, reduce debt and keep housing & utility costs affordable.
- What type of client applies to the home sharing program?
HIP Housing interviews clients of all walks of life including those who are working, seniors, single parents, persons with disabilities, persons exiting from a shelter, students and others who receive benefits such as unemployment, TANF, retirement or disability income.
- What information do we need from the person applying for home sharing?
Applicants are asked to provide proof of ID, names & phone numbers of three references (preferably employment, residence and personal) and information about their income which is kept confidential and only used for statistical purposes. A criminal background check will be run on all clients who apply to the program. There is no fee to use the service.
- How long does it take to place someone in home sharing?
Clients are encouraged to keep in regular contact with their home sharing coordinator to receive referrals of potential housemates and then to follow-up with the referrals given by returning calls and making appointments to see potential housemates. The number of referrals given to clients of potential housemates depends on a number of factors: family size seeking housing, amount of rent charged/able to pay, location, pets, smoking and other personal preferences. HIP Housing’s staff will work with clients for the duration of the time they are searching for a housemate whether the client finds a placement through our agency or something on their own. HIP Housing cannot guarantee a housemate placement.
- How long does the typical match last?
If both parties are happy with the match and circumstances do not change for either side, matches can last for many years, with great friendships being formed. The average length of stay is nearly three years with some matches lasting a shorter or longer period of time.
- Do you match people of different ages, interests and genders?
Yes. Clients are asked to complete a questionnaire giving them the opportunity to share with us their ideal home share arrangement, personal characteristics and other factors regarding living with another person. Clients have the opportunity to interview and select their own housemate and to check the references of clients.
- How do you complete a match?
The two parties in a home sharing match are offered the opportunity to put their understandings in writing by completing a Living Together Agreement with the assistance of the housing counselor. Each participant is encouraged to review the agreement periodically to make any adjustments or changes. HIP Housing is available to help housemates work through any issues or concerns once the housing arrangement begins. If the match needs to end, each participant is expected to give the other party a written notice as agreed upon in the Living Together Agreement.
- What can you do to help encourage persons to home share?
People may not consider home sharing an option because they believe they can find their own place, find a housemate on their own or may have had a negative experience home sharing on their own. For those seeking housing, finding independent housing may be a longer term goal and clients should take into consideration their ability to pay a first and last month’s rent and deposit, credit and debt situation and paying a rent that may be beyond their means. For Home Providers, they may have had a negative experience sharing with someone in the past. It’s possible they were not provided with the guidance and support needed to help make a successful shared living arrangement (i.e., how to interview a housemate, checking references, completing a Living Together Agreement, follow-up support). HIP Housing provides one-on-one support to clients to help create a positive shared housing arrangement.
- How do people apply to the Home Sharing Program?
Persons can call our staff to discuss home sharing as a possibility for them. Contact HIP Housing at 510-574-2173 for information and to schedule an interview. The interview will last approximately 45 minutes and will involve meeting with a HIP Housing Home Sharing Coordinators to complete an application and interview. Staff is bilingual in Spanish.