Mayor Richard M. Daley recently told senior citizens about a new homesharing program that, he said, could dramatically improve the quality of life for many of them. "This program can help you save money on housing and other living expenses, while providing you with other companionship and security," the Mayor said.
The program is being launched on a pilot basis in three sections of the city. Social service agencies, in cooperation with the Department of Aging, will screen applicants and match them with compatible individuals who are interested in sharing a home. Agency representatives would visit the home to make sure it is appropriate for seniors living together.
The mayor said the program is part of his administration's efforts to keep Chicago neighborhoods affordable for people of all incomes and backgrounds.
"If your husband or wife is gone, and the children have moved away, that old house can become awfully lonely," he said. "And as you get older, let's face it, it becomes harder and harder to maintain a house and cook all the meals.
"It can be expensive, too. Even though we have a lot of programs to help seniors deal with property taxes and utility bills, they're not easy to pay on a fixed income. Where housing costs are concerned, two really can live as cheaply as one.
"It's nice to have someone in the home to talk to, to share things with, and to help if you have a problem. And, perhaps best of all, you'll be able to remain in the community where you've lived for many years."
Onward Neighborhood House, 600 N. Leavitt St., will operate a program on the Near Northwest Side, in an area bounded by Division St., Ashland Ave., Kinzie St. and California Ave. It proposes to set up 10 homesharing arrangements. Its phone number is (312) 666-6726.
If the pilot program succeeds, the Department of Aging will try to expand it throughout the city, the Mayor said. Further information is available by calling the City's non-emergency number, 311.
The Mayor said the homesharing program was one of many City efforts on behalf of senior citizens. The City plans to build five "grand-family" developments to provide housing and social services for grandparents raising their grandchildren. It soon will begin a design competition, financed by the National Endowment for the Arts, for an inter-generational learning center, which will be built in the Roseland community on the South Side.
The Mayor also announced that the City is increasing the budget for its program to help low-income seniors repair their homes by 25 percent, to $174,000, to serve an additional 222 seniors.
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