Home sharing is a fancy version of a roommate arrangement. It’s also a great way to reduce the need for housing stock. HomeShare Vermont is a nonprofit that advocates home sharing and helps potential home sharers with the all-important step of finding a perfect match.

Homeowners (or renters) who decide to share have a spare bedroom and are looking for extra income, help around the house, or a combination. On the other end are individuals who can’t afford traditional rent or who want a greater safety net than they’d get living alone. Ideally the home share agreement is mutually beneficial, providing companionship to both parties and splitting the cost and labor to maintain a home.

HomeShare Vermont does the dirty work, for a small fee, to make matches more mutual and long-lasting than individuals might find on their own. The organization conducts interviews, performs background checks, and helps new pairs draft a written home share agreement spelling out each one’s expectations. The organization also informs the parties of relevant laws, as home share is a landlord/tenant agreement even if the tenant pays no rent. You can find a guide to home sharing here.