Elderly people sit on a bench in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
By Sarah Holder, Bloomberg CityLab, December 7, 2023
In a brick rowhouse in Baltimore County live unlikely roommates, born half a century apart. Lena Wilson is 81 years old and has owned her three-bedroom home for over four decades. Her tenant is in his 20s; before moving in with Wilson, he was homeless.
Since 2021, Wilson has welcomed young people for short-term stays through a home-sharing program run by St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, a 55-year-old Baltimore-based nonprofit that provides affordable housing and services for low-income residents. Many of St. Ambrose’s clients are older people who have rented or owned their homes for decades. Some need accessibility upgrades like grab bars or lifts as they age; others, like Wilson, are struggling to keep up with their housing costs on a fixed income.
The home-sharing program helps serve multiple needs and generations. Wilson gets help with monthly payments, and temporary residents get stable shelter. They look after each other. “I am an older lady,” said Wilson. “I’m glad to know somebody would be here if I need help.”
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