2ROOFS is Whatcom County's own social real estate team. We believe you should have a joy filled and meaningful real estate experience. Every sale helps house a person in need at no additional cost to you. See how it works HERE.
Thank you to Jeremy and Lindsey Kiniry who’s home sale has helped provide emergency and transitional housing for homeless families and support for our marginalized neighbors in Whatcom County through the work of Opportunity Council. Because of friends like you who have chosen 2roofs as their Realtor over 200 people in need have been helped to find housing.
Here’s the story of Senior Residents helped through the Opportunity Council.
Golden Girls
Senior residents are finding options to share housing through “Roommate Café” at the OC’s Housing Lab.
Meet the self-proclaimed, “Golden Girls,” three Whatcom County residents who unexpectedly found housing by teaming up together when they couldn’t find affordable housing on their own. Through “Roommate Café,” a new program at the Opportunity Council, residents are exploring shared- housing options. The program began in February as part of Generations Housing Project (GHP), a home sharing program that reduces elder homelessness by identifying opportunities for shared housing.
The roommate-matching service can bring people together to find housing options.
“We each kept striking out on our own,” explains Abigail, one of the “Golden Girls.”
After spending over 18 months in an emergency shelter and living on the streets, Abigail found an option for housing with two potential roommates, Joyce and Anne.
Anne was a medically fragile widow living in her car when she received the call about an opportunity to share housing with two other senior women. She is quick to share her thoughts about getting that call. “I was like, holy Hannah!! It’s about time,” Anne said.
Joyce is the busiest of the three. She volunteers with individuals who experience mental health disability and also teaches part time. Joyce came to the OC’s Housing Lab when she found herself at risk of losing her housing after a $200 rent increase.
“Everything was too expensive,” she said. “Of course I was willing to share housing if it meant not living on the streets.” Joyce also recognizes that sharing a home comes with both benefits and challenges. “[Being a roommate] is about compassion and compromise,” Joyce said.
In this case, it’s also about banding together to provide a home for three people who could otherwise be homeless.
2roofs' Realtors work hard to make your home buying or selling experience enjoyable and give part of every commission to help house a person in need. See more stories.