Shared Housing Workshop

Unfortunately, the housing market hasn’t gotten any better, and now the conversation has shifted to the fact that we do not have enough single, studio, or 1-bedroom apartments to meet the needs of our communities. Shared housing interventions are building momentum/interest as most communities across the United States are struggling with enough affordable housing stock.  This workshop will cover various areas to help communities better understand how to set up and build successful shared housing programs within their rehousing system. We will address system-level barriers, important messaging, matching programs, how to recruit landlords, and program-level operationalization. In this workshop, we will dive in and discuss policies that need to be implemented for a shared housing program. For example, we will cover policies on how to engage and partner with your local housing authorities, how to implement master leasing, and how to maximize all the resources within reach. Additionally, we will share tools you can replicate to implement shared housing programs (e.g., setting up meet-and-greets, housemate agreements, and housing stabilization plans) and walk through the basics of motivational interviewing and conflict resolution. Kris Freed will lead this training. She is a recognized national expert on homelessness who has been training communities across the U.S. on shared housing strategies for over eight years. Kris will be joined by business partner Veronica Lewis and other colleagues with expertise in specific areas like partnering with housing authorities, operating a rapid-rehousing master lease program, and matching and stabilization services.