About Us

SHARE Sonoma County was founded as a 501 ( c ) 3 organization in 2014 and funded in 2015 with a seed grant from the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael. For three years, the organization operated from Petaluma People’s Services in Petaluma, California, and, with limited resources and staff, provided over 300 matches. Adding staff, we've been able to move into our Santa Rosa office and dramatically increase the number of housing matches.

 

SHARE matches place an individual needing housing into a home with a senior, over 60 years of age, who would have otherwise been unable to retain their home due to the ‘house rich, cash poor’ syndrome. Matches are also made between seniors in need of defined support services and tenants able to provide those services for a reduction in rent or, in some cases, in exchange for free housing.

 

SHARE Sonoma County’s program provides one of the fastest and most efficient ways to place families and individuals into affordable homes. Subsidized and affordable housing is offered at the county, state and federal levels but the wait list to get into such a home is often as long as five years or more. SHARE Sonoma County has provided stopgap measures during the interim, getting people into housing much sooner as they remain on the wait lists. Through the SHARE Sonoma County matching process, parties are vetted, with SHARE Sonoma County providing support, helping to mitigate a common deterrent—fear of allowing strangers into one’s home. The evidenced-based program is also supported by municipalities throughout the county and is the preferred model for an affordable solution to the housing shortage.

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SHARE Sonoma County is dedicated to the creation of genuine community through home sharing to benefit elders, individuals with disabilities and disaster victims, providing them with a decent, affordable home to call their own.