To the editor:

The Christmas decorations are put away, the holiday visitors have gone home, now it’s time to think about the rest of the year! How about sharing your home with someone who needs a room, lower cost rent and might have time to give?

HomeShare, a program of the Housing Resources Board, can help you find the right person for your situation. There are lots of folks on the Island who are working but can’t afford a place of their own. Or they might be in transition from one living situation to another and need a place to call home for a while. You might have more yard work than you can handle and a roommate could help out with that in exchange for rent.

We have helped many folks on Bainbridge — a woman who was commuting from Port Orchard to a job on the Island now rents a room here so she can save money on commuting. An elderly woman with room to spare in her home now has the security of knowing that there is someone else in the house late at night should an emergency arise. A young man with a disability rents a room in a duplex with other fellows who are in similar situations. A single mom with a large home offered a room for rent to another woman going to school and working part time.

There are any number of scenarios that could make HomeShare the right program for you. Call me at HRB, 206-842-1909, ext. 8, or email me at penny@housingresourcesboard.org. I can talk to you about how it works and what steps we take to find the right person for your situation.

PENNY LAMPING

Housing Resources Board