SHARED HOUSING PROGRAM !
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF UPCOMING HOUSING SESSIONS!!
Summary of services:
• Since 1980 we have assisted single parents with one or two small children find affordable rooms to rent in people's homes.
• We offer housing seminars to facilitate matches with potential roommates and landlords.
• Rents range from $450 to $500 per month for one bedroom.
• We provide screening of clients, tips for successful shared housing, a living agreement to specify rent and deposit, and to clarify expectations about use of kitchen, living room, guest policies, quiet hours, etc.
• On a need basis, we offer housing information and referral and case management services. Click here for a list of frequently asked general housing questions.
•Case Management is provided for tenants living in Charities Housing Development apartments and /or for those clients in special programs. Case Management Services assists tenants in maintaining their housing.
• We recently added an opportunity for our clients to participate in an Individual Development Account program. For every dollar saved over a three-year period, two dollars are matched for a possible $6,000 saved at the end of the program.
• We serve residents living in Santa Clara County in the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Milpitas, Cupertino, Campbell, Mountain View, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy.
• We work with clients for 90 days to make a housing match and can extend this period upon request. After a case is closed out, the client must wait 30 days before registering again with the program.
• Average time to make a housing match is three weeks.
• We do NOT provide emergency housing.
• All participants must sign a "Declaration of Non-Criminal History before enrolling in our Shared Housing Program. We encourage clients to call the two references listed for each participant to find out more about each other. Participants sign a participation agreement with a testimony statement that they have not been convicted of a felony. Additionally, participants need to be clean and sober to enroll in our Shared Housing Program
Who is eligible?
• Most appropriate for individuals or single parents with one or two small children.
• Single adults willing to live with a family are accepted.
• Families with two parents or more than three children can apply for two bedrooms.
Is there a waiting list?
• Currently there is no waiting list. The time it takes to find a room to rent or housemate depends on the amount of time and energy the client puts into making calls and interviewing the participants in our program.
Are there any fees?
• There is no charge but we ask for a donation of any amount.
What languages are spoken?
• English
• Spanish
• Farsi
What volunteer opportunities are available?
• Outreach efforts to find more providers of rooms to rent.
• Design website/Internet links to announce our program.
• Prepare information packets for mailing to agencies, parishes, media contacts
• Design and post flyers in public gathering spaces, community centers.
• Staff booths for Shared Housing at community fairs
• Attend advocacy meetings about affordable housing
How to apply:
Q: How do I sign up for your program?
A: Come into our office to read our Shared Housing survival kit, sign a participation agreement, and be interviewed by our housing advisor. You will leave with a list of names of persons renting rooms in their homes in Santa Clara County. Please be sure to bring the following with you:photo ID, verification of monthly income, 1st name and local telephone number of two references).
OR
Click here to download the complete housing kit. Once you complete the forms, you can bring them to a housing session. Click here for a list of upcoming housing sessions. Please be sure to SIGN UP for any housing seminars you plan on attending so we can confirm times and location. You can sign up by calling us at 408-325-5246 or sending an email.
OR
Finally, you can come 30 minutes early to any housing session to complete the forms. To guarantee a spot, please be sure to SIGN UP for any housing seminars at least 48 hours before you plan on attending so we can confirm times and location. You can sign up by calling us at 408-325-5246 or sending an email. If space is available, we can accept last minute participants.
Q: I need housing right away; I am sleeping in my car. Can you help me?
A: The emergency shelter hotline is (800) 774-3583.
Q: Where can I find housing if I do not qualify for your program?
A: The San Jose Family Shelter at 926-8885 and the Emergency Housing Consortium, EHC, at 294-2100 offer shelter for two parent and single parent families with children.
Service sites and hours of operation
Office: 2625 Zanker Road, San Jose, CA 95134
Please call (408) 325-5246 to schedule an appointment.
• We interview new clients 1 to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. and on Thursdays we are open until 6 p.m.