HomeMatch Pima Program
Over the past two years, PCOA researched national homesharing models with the intention of establishing a county-wide program to match older homeowners with homesharers in meaningful and affordable ways. The goal was to create stable housing for older adults to age in place with social connections and dignity. With the generous support from the Tucson Industrial Development Authority (IDA), Pima County Board of Supervisors, and the City of Tucson, we spoke with dozens of interested community members, and met with small groups who shared their interests, commitments—and concerns.
Our exploratory journey uncovered several considerations that limit our ability to make homesharing matches at this time. We have learned that people remain deeply cautious about sharing their homes with non-family members in this era of COVID-19. Additionally, homesharing in Arizona (in which a homeowner is matched with a homesharer) may be considered a landlord-tenant relationship which adds legal considerations and complications to the process. Because of that we believe more advocacy work needs to be done, which we plan on doing.
While PCOA is unable to continue HomeMatch Pima at this time, we remain committed to advocating for affordable housing solutions—including possible homesharing options and developing innovative programs to meet the needs of older adults in our community. In the meantime, we will provide information about housing resources in our Never Too Late newspaper. Housing resources are also available on our website, Housing – Pima Council on Aging.
If you are interested in learning more about homesharing as an option, informational sessions are held regularly through a separate group called Tucson Home Sharing. You can learn more about them and see their schedule of community activities through their website at www.tucsonhomesharing.org or by calling 520-965-4017.