Connecting senior homeowners who have available rooms to rent with Worcester-area graduate students in need of housing.
Worcester, MA – RCAP Solutions is thrilled to have received a generous $10,000 grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to pilot an Intergenerational HomeShare Program in collaboration with the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc., an affiliate of Seven Hills Foundation, with additional help from other community partners. This initiative comes at a critical time as the City of Worcester and other municipalities across the state are grappling with an unprecedented housing crisis.
The proposed solution involves creating a program to match graduate students with senior homeowners in Worcester and the surrounding communities who have available rooms to rent – addressing housing shortages while fostering intergenerational connections.
The success of a similar program in Boston has laid the groundwork for this initiative and demonstrates that homesharing is a valuable and viable option for increasing affordability and social relationships.
With this funding, the first step of the process will be to conduct outreach to seniors in Worcester and the surrounding towns. The primary objective is to gauge interest among older adults who have available rooms for rent. By creating a pipeline of homeowners eager to participate, we aim to grow this initiative into a comprehensive program supported by additional funding.
“RCAP Solutions’ commitment to affordable housing and strengthening communities is evident through our initiative in piloting this program,” remarked Brian D. Scales, President & CEO of RCAP Solutions. “We are grateful to the Greater Worcester Community Foundation for their support, and we are excited to collaborate with the Worcester Community Connections Coalition on this important project.”
This proposed opportunity will encourage homeowners to keep their rents low (below market rate) to alleviate financial challenges faced by graduate students, while empowering these older adults to remain engaged within their communities. Background checks and screenings will be conducted to ensure safe and lasting matches. Through collaborative efforts and strategic outreach, RCAP Solutions and the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc. are committed to making a positive impact on housing accessibility and intergenerational connectedness in Worcester and beyond.
“Bringing this model to Worcester is a doable, winnable effort that can help address the current housing crisis – even if in one small way. Many efforts like this are desperately needed at this time. The program’s intergenerational piece also provides wonderful, needed support to our seniors to help keep them in their homes,” noted Anne Bureau, Program Director for the Worcester Community Connections Coalition of YOU, Inc.
“Affordable housing is a critical challenge across Worcester County,” said Pete Dunn, President & CEO of Greater Worcester Community Foundation. “The Intergenerational HomeShare Program offers an innovative approach to addressing the housing crisis while fostering connections between generations and strengthening the community.”
For more information about the pilot program or if you or someone you know is interested in participating, please contact RCAP Solutions’ Housing Consumer Education Center (HCEC) via phone: (978) 630-6773 or email: HCECedu@rcapsolutions.org. Alternatively, you may complete our Interest Form here: https://bit.ly/HomeShareInterest.