Bainbridge HomeShare program fills a need for affordable housing

By Tristan Baurick

Kitsap Sun
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — A Bainbridge affordable-housing group wants homeowners to rethink a housing arrangement they likely abandoned in college.

Taking on a roommate benefits both owner and renter — especially during hard economic times, according to the Housing Resources Board (HRB), which manages the county's only roommate-matching program.
HRB program specialist Penny Lamping said a roommate can help cover a mortgage, provide companionship and chip in on house chores. In return, the homeowner provides below-market-rate housing for a person hit by hard times.

"Some people take a roommate because they have a big house to themselves and they want to share," Lamping said. "Some do it to exercise a social consciousness."

HRB's roommate-matching program, called HomeShare, was created two years ago, but it's getting renewed emphasis as the gap widens between the typical rental rate and the amount people can afford.
"We're getting phone calls all the time, but they can only afford $200 to $500 (per month)," said HRB Executive Director Ken Balizer.

Even the homes HRB manages are typically beyond that range.
HRB is also trying to boost the HomeShare program because the city greatly reduced its financial support, making it difficult for HRB to build new homes or lower the rent on existing ones.

HRB conducts background checks on rental applicants and matches them with homeowners, thereby streamlining and easing the search process for both parties.

Bainbridge homeowner Holly Hall has been renting a room to a young woman for the last 15 months.
"I lived by myself and really wasn't using half my house, so I thought it was worth a try," she said. "It's really worked out well so far."

Until recently, HRB board member Kim Hendrickson rented a room to a Peruvian woman. The arrangement took some financial pressure off Hendrickson's family and gave her kids an early introduction to Spanish, she said.
Hall said opening one's home to a renter isn't without sacrifices. Sometimes chores go undone, and a previous renter had trouble paying the rent during a family emergency.

"You have to be clear and articulate in terms of rent and house cleaning," she said.

Some renters do maintenance, pet watching or provide in-home care for elderly homeowners to supplement rent.
HRB has a list of nearly 20 people seeking homes through the HomeShare program. The list of homeowners offering a room is nearly as long, but HRB is having trouble finding homeowners who will go lower than $600.
Hall said the monthly income is nice, but she doesn't expect it to make her rich.
"It's not about the income," she said. "It's about doing something good for somebody else."

Rent Watch: Landlord can require permission for roommate

Question: I have rented a three-bedroom unit for two years. About eight months ago, I lost my job and could no longer pay my rent. Rather than be evicted, I found a roommate who now pays half the monthly rent.
From the beginning, my roommate has written a separate check for his half of the monthly rent and I write my own check for the other half. I give both checks to the rental office, which is the place designated for payment in my rental agreement.

When I took the two checks to the office last week, the new resident manager told me she would not accept the checks. She said I was in violation of my rental agreement. She showed me a copy of the agreement, which does prohibit subletting without management's written permission. Is there anything I can do?
Answer: A landlord has the right to prohibit subletting or require advance written consent. If the management wants to enforce this clause, you could be given a three-day notice to remove your roommate or face an unlawful detainer action for eviction.

You have one potential defense to the assertion that you are in violation of the rental agreement. If you can show that the community's management allowed the roommate to occupy your unit and did not take timely action to require the roommate to vacate, you can assert that management's inaction constituted a waiver of its right to enforce the clause prohibiting sublets. Knowingly accepting a rent check from your roommate over a period of months is strong evidence of waiver.

Even if you have a strong defense, fighting an unlawful detainer can be costly in terms of time and money. If the court rejects the defense, you will have an eviction on your record, which will seriously limit your ability to rent in the future.

As an alternative, you could contact your local mediation program to see whether a resolution can be reached. For example, you and your roommate could reach an agreement to add the roommate to the rental agreement or you could negotiate an agreement allowing you or the roommate a reasonable time to vacate.
Eichner is director of Housing Counseling Programs for Project Sentinel, a Sunnyvale, Calif., mediation service. To submit a question, go to http://www.housing.org.