Coalition To End Homelessness On Home Sharing

On any given night in Campbell River, about 41 percent of bedrooms do not have anyone sleeping in them, but the Coalition to End Homelessness has an idea about how to change that.

On any given night in Campbell River, about 41 percent of bedrooms do not have anyone sleeping in them, but the Coalition to End Homelessness has an idea about how to change that.

According to Statistics Canada data compiled by Jens Von Bergmann, about 40.7 per cent of bedrooms in Campbell River were unoccupied. That figure is based on data from the 2016 Canadian Census (2021 data is not yet available) and is likely an under-count, according to CensusMapper.

With Campbell River also facing an affordable housing crisis — a 2021 vacancy rate of 1.5 per cent and rental units going for an average $2,000 per month — the Campbell River and District Coalition to End Homelessness has an idea of how to alleviate the pressure.

That idea is home-sharing.

Home sharing platforms are companies that essentially act as mediators between a host and a renter. They handle background checks, matching renters and hosts, payments, agreements and even conflict resolution.

The coalition has been looking at a platform called Happipad. All that’s left is to find an organization to recruit new hosts and get the project up and running.

While these services are open to anyone, they are especially useful to people who are interested in a multi-generational set up. For example, a senior who wants to keep living at home may be matched with a student who is looking for affordable housing while they attend school. The household chores are split up between the two parties in a way that works for them. The host can afford to keep their home and is safe because they are not alone and the renter gets to save a few dollars and has peace of mind.

Not everyone will want to be a part of a home share, but it will appeal to a certain group, Von Bergmann said.

Interested organizations can email the coalition at info@crhousing.net