A San Mateo-based nonprofit helps people find housemates to share housing costs, including arrangements that exchange household help for reduced rent.
HIP Housing, officially known as Human Investment Project Inc., runs a Home Sharing program that pairs "home providers" who have a spare room with "home seekers" who need a place to live. Some seekers pay rent. Others exchange household duties for a reduced rate. The program includes background checks, one-on-one interviews and a shared living agreement, according to the San Mateo County housing resources page.
Home seekers must live, work or attend school in San Mateo County, according to HIP Housing’s program page. Home providers must reside in the county.
Zillow’s home-value index put the county’s typical home value at about $1.58 million as of Sept. 30, up 4.4% from a year earlier.
Most home providers rent out a room in their house or apartment, though some offer an accessory dwelling unit, according to HIP Housing's program page.
The Los Angeles Times reported in September on one local match arranged through the program. Rudy Ramirez, a 74-year-old Foster City homeowner, was renting a room in his three-bedroom house for $900 a month to Sarah Lawlor, 31, a child care provider who had been staying with different family members.
"I enjoy the company, and these younger folks, they keep me on my toes," Ramirez told the Times.
The nonprofit is based in San Mateo and has operated for decades. It holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating.
Beyond home sharing, HIP Housing owns affordable rental properties across the county, including a 16-unit building in San Mateo and a 38-unit property in Redwood City, according to its property listings.
Laura Fanucchi, HIP Housing's director of programs, told the Times that spare rooms across the county represent untapped housing stock. Laura Moya is listed as a Home Sharing coordinator on the county’s housing resources page.
Residents interested in the program can reach Moya at [email protected] or 650-348-6660, ext. 326.
