What if you have an extra bedroom in your house, but you don’t necessarily want to sell and move?
Or what if you’re looking for a more affordable place to live and would consider sharing somebody else’s home?
Pennsylvania has a program designed around exactly that kind of arrangement.
It’s called SHARE — Shared Housing and Resource Exchange.
How does SHARE work?
The basic idea is straightforward.
A person with extra space in their home is matched with someone who needs a place to live.
The person moving into the home has a private bedroom and shares agreed-upon common spaces such as the living room, dining room and kitchen.
In exchange, the home seeker may contribute toward living expenses.
They may provide agreed-upon help around the house.
Or the arrangement may include a combination of both.
For example, depending on what the participants agree to, help around the house could involve certain household tasks.
This can create something useful for both people.
The homeowner may receive help with expenses or agreed-upon household needs.
The home seeker gets an affordable housing option.
Is this just finding a roommate?
There’s an important difference.
SHARE is a Pennsylvania Department of Aging program administered through participating local Area Agencies on Aging.
A SHARE Housing Counselor is involved in the process.
The counselor meets separately with the homeowner and home seeker to discuss their needs and preferences.
The program then includes:
- Applications
- References
- Reference and background checks
- Identification of potential matches
- Introductions between potential participants
- A written homesharing agreement
- Trial living periods
- Ongoing support
The counselor can also connect participants with other community resources.
That structure is one of the most interesting parts of the program.
You’re not simply putting an advertisement online and inviting someone into your home.
Do both people have to be older adults?
No.
SHARE participants must be at least 18 years old, but only one person in the match must be over 60.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging says eligible participants can include older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, working professionals, college students, single parents, people at risk of homelessness and others interested in sharing a home.
That creates many more possible arrangements than the phrase “senior shared housing” might suggest.
Is SHARE available around Philadelphia?
This is where SHARE becomes particularly relevant locally.
As of August 2026, Pennsylvania lists SHARE as available in:
- Bucks
- Carbon
- Crawford
- Lackawanna
- Lancaster
- Lehigh
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Northampton
- Northumberland
- Pike
- Snyder
- Union
- Wayne counties.
That means Bucks County and Montgomery County currently participate in SHARE.
Philadelphia is not currently listed.
Because programs expand and change, always check the Pennsylvania Department of Aging’s current list rather than relying on an older article.
What might a SHARE arrangement actually look like?
There isn’t one standard arrangement.
That’s part of the point.
One homeowner might primarily want someone to contribute toward living expenses.
Another arrangement might involve some agreed-upon household help.
Another could involve both.
The Pennsylvania program’s current available-home listings show just how different arrangements can be.
Some hosts are seeking financial contributions.
Some are interested in companionship.
Some mention help with errands or household tasks.
Some homes offer private bathrooms while others have shared bathrooms.
Every arrangement is different.
That’s why matching and a written agreement matter.
What should you think about before sharing your home?
Having an unused bedroom doesn’t automatically mean SHARE is right for you.
You’re still inviting another person to live in your home.
Think about:
- Privacy
- Compatibility
- Household routines
- Pets
- Guests
- Smoking
- Transportation
- Shared spaces
- Household responsibilities
- Financial contributions
- Expectations about assistance
- How disagreements would be handled
Those are exactly the kinds of subjects that should be discussed before anybody moves in.
SHARE’s matching process and written agreement are designed to help establish those expectations.
Why could this matter for someone considering downsizing?
Imagine you’ve lived in the same house for 30 years.
The mortgage may be paid off or relatively low.
You know the neighborhood.
You like the house.
You don’t particularly want to leave.
But you’re starting to think:
“This is a lot of house for one person.”
That’s usually when people start talking about downsizing.
And downsizing may ultimately be the right choice.
But SHARE introduces another question:
Could sharing some of the house make staying here work differently?
That’s worth knowing before deciding that moving is the only answer.
Another housing option—not the answer for everyone
SHARE isn’t going to work for everybody.
Some people don’t want another person living in their home.
Some homes aren’t suitable for sharing.
Some people want complete privacy.
That’s fine.
The point of knowing about SHARE isn’t to convince somebody to use it.
It’s to understand that it exists.
Later-life housing decisions don’t always have to be reduced to:
Stay.
Downsize.
Move in with family.
Move to senior living.
There may be another model worth investigating.
That’s why I’m covering programs like SHARE as part of Housing Models You May Not Know Exist.
I’m Jess Carpenter, Realtor® with Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, serving Philadelphia, Montgomery County and Bucks County.
Understand your options before making your decision.
The current state program specifically describes SHARE as an affordable housing option that may also enable an older adult to remain in their home and community.
Check current SHARE availability and application information