High housing and rental costs are a barrier for many older adults throughout the commonwealth as they struggle to make ends meet while on fixed incomes. Housing insecurity can affect Pennsylvanians of all ages as residents struggle to secure housing. One promising model, however, innovatively addresses the critical issue of housing insecurity. Established in 2017 and funded entirely by federal grants, the SHARE program is a home-sharing program where homeowners with room to spare are matched with home seekers. At least one person in the match must be at least 60 years old, and the home seeker can never pay more than 30% of their income in rent. Since its inception in Pennsylvania, SHARE has matched over 200 people. However, this program, which considers financial needs and individuals’ preferences on where they will be matched, is currently not codified in state law.
 
As our older adult population grows and struggles with affordable housing, we must support creative solutions such as the SHARE program to support Pennsylvanians, particularly our older adults. Our bill will make the SHARE program permanent and allow for funding to help the program assist more Pennsylvanians who need housing.
 
This bill was introduced in a previous session with bipartisan support. Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation to help our older adult constituents remain in their communities.