The Shared Housing Symposium, held on November 27, 2012 in Los Angeles, convened program leaders from around the country. Participants represented programs from California, Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, and Vermont.  During the welcoming remarks Affordable Living for the Aging’s CEO David Grunwald emphasized the importance of establishing a collective vision for the field while also increasing collaboration and the exchange of information between programs.  NSHRC’s co-president Rebecca Sheppard offered an inspirational look at shared housing – framing it as a tool for ensuring that our communities are vibrant places to live that provide people with access to social connections and support.  Panelists and presenters revealed the differences across programs and highlighted innovative applications of shared housing for addressing the affordable housing challenge.  Stakeholders left energized and motivated to maintain the momentum necessary for creating a national agenda that supports the proliferation of shared housing.  Implementation of next steps will strengthen the field’s presence among other community-based affordable housing solutions.

For more information on the proposed next steps, download a copy of the Strategic Guide.  Visit ALA’s webpage to learn more about the Shared Housing Initiative.

To join the conversation, contact NSHRC or Rachel Caraviello at Rachel@alaseniorliving.org or follow the #SharedHousing conversation on Twitter.