HomeShare Vermont – A Vermont nonprofit arrangement paired a young worker with a senior at $650 a month, showing how shared housing can fill a local affordability gap.
At 7 p.m. every night, Jeopardy anchors the routine for Kayla Mazza and her 77-year-old housemate, Honey Donegan—an unlikely pairing that began as a practical solution to a much bigger problem: finding housing close enough to work without blowing up a budget.
Mazza, 31, lives in Windsor County, Vermont, and the interview was edited for length and clarity.. She says she first met Donegan in March 2023. but the relationship has deepened steadily since she moved into Donegan’s home.. Before that. Mazza had secured a job at a nonprofit near Honey’s town. about an hour commute from her parents’ home in Waterbury.. For a time, she stayed temporarily where her family lived, hoping to relocate once she could locate an affordable option.
But as soon as Mazza began actively looking, affordability quickly became a wall.. She described a lack of reasonably priced housing in the area and said renting a room in a house shared with multiple other people could easily surpass $1. 000 per month.. She also noted that her job—while stable enough to take—came with tighter pay than her previous role. and that the numbers mattered for meeting typical lease requirements.
In her case. taking the nonprofit job meant a pay cut. and she often found that she didn’t earn the amount required under standard leases—so in many situations. she said she didn’t even qualify as a tenant.. A relative then pointed her toward HomeShare Vermont. a nonprofit that connects older adults with unused space in their homes to people in need of housing. with an arrangement designed to create value for both sides.
Mazza said the HomeShare structure works financially as well as socially.. On one side, the older host benefits from companionship and, in many cases, help with everyday tasks.. On the other side. guests can reduce their housing costs while also receiving the benefit of living in a home rather than competing for pricier rentals.. Still. she emphasized that guests are not considered caregivers; instead. they may assist with defined tasks such as cooking meals. grocery shopping. and providing rides to medical appointments.
Each party. Mazza reported. is vetted by the organization. and she said she was matched with Donegan. a part-time nanny who lives in a four-bedroom house within a homeowners’ association.. The two agreed on a rent of $650 per month. described as the maximum HomeShare allows for a shared-housing arrangement. plus a percentage of utilities.. That cost. she said. sat above the average HomeShare guest rate of $380 monthly—something she attributes to the fact that Donegan needed fewer forms of help.
The role expectations are not one-size-fits-all within the HomeShare model, Mazza added.. Some living arrangements can be more intensive and may require a nightly presence and set hours of assistance. depending on the host’s needs.. In Mazza’s arrangement. she described her own schedule—she holds a full-time job and keeps a busy pace—as one reason it fit well.. She also said she likes visiting family and traveling. which means the expectations needed to be workable without constant overnight availability.
To make the arrangement function day-to-day. she said both sides discussed what she would be expected to help with ahead of time.. Among the tasks were caring for Donegan’s pets when she is away—two cats. two dogs. and some fish—along with responsibilities such as stacking wood during winter.. Mazza also described the relationship as unusually smooth: she said they have never needed HomeShare’s mediation because they have not encountered problems that required outside intervention.
Outside of chores and routines, the friendship has grown through shared interests.. Mazza said she and Donegan both enjoy Jeopardy and funny movies. and they spend time together in ways that go beyond the “arrangement” label.. They hike. walk the dogs. and swim at a nearby lake. giving their connection a physical rhythm that matches the weekly cadence of their shared home life.
They also share personal and political interests.. Mazza described Donegan as extremely empathetic and said Donegan would never judge her for retreating with a book for an entire weekend.. Just as importantly. Mazza said they maintain open conversations about coming from different generations—an element she framed as part of what makes the relationship rewarding rather than transactional.
Home-sharing affordability is only part of the story here; the way expectations are set upfront appears to be a key piece of the success.. By clarifying what help is needed—such as pet care or seasonal tasks—both sides reduce ambiguity and avoid the friction that can arise when roommates or housemates have mismatched assumptions.
The economic logic is straightforward, but the implications are broader.. Mazza’s experience illustrates how local housing pressures can force working adults into difficult trade-offs. including commuting longer distances. accepting lower-paying roles. or taking on housing arrangements that don’t fit the conventional lease model.. In that environment. a structured matching nonprofit can turn otherwise unused household space into a way to stabilize costs for someone who is otherwise priced out.
There is also a behavioral and community dimension to the model.. Instead of treating companionship and assistance as inseparable from caregiving. Mazza’s account distinguishes between general help—cooking. shopping. transportation. or basic home responsibilities—and formal caregiving duties.. That distinction can make the arrangement more accessible for participants while preserving the boundaries that protect both the host and the guest.
For Mazza and Donegan, the arrangement has become a form of shared life rather than a temporary patch.. She said it makes good financial sense. but she also described it as stimulating and rewarding—an outcome that depends not just on cost. but on compatibility. vetted participation. and an agreement that remains clear over time.
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