Shared Housing Services

Shared Housing Services (SHS), since 1991, is an independent, nonprofit 501(C)3 social service agency working cooperatively with other community agencies to ensure basic needs of low-income community members are met. Mission: At SHS in Tacoma we have, since 1991, been fulfilling our mission of “Connecting people and fostering independence through innovative and affordable housing, because everyone needs a place to call home.”

SHS serves the 795,000 residents of Pierce County by providing very low-income individuals and families with safe, stable, affordable housing through innovative solutions, while providing individualized case management plans that help clients overcome the barriers that prevent them from obtaining permanent, independent housing, and by connecting clients with community partners to receive needed services and life skills training. Our three core programs are Adult Homesharing, Transitional Family Housing, and Youth Host Home. Our Adult Homesharing program carefully matches homeowners, who are in most cases elderly and/or disabled, with home seekers, most of whom are homeless when they come to SHS. In return for affordable rent, the home seeker agrees to provide services such as transportation, assistance with chores, and companionship to the homeowner, allowing many homeowners to remain in their homes and stabilizing the living situation for both home seeker and homeowner. Our Transitional Family Housing Program provides 12 safe, low-cost housing units for formerly homeless families for up to two years. We serve them with both case management services and referrals to community resources. Each family receives a highly-individualized action plan designed to help them articulate their needs, identify specific challenges and assets, connect them to resources, build their skills, and eventually achieve self-sufficiency and independence. Our Youth Host Home Program matches youth ages 16-24 with homeowners who agree to provide a safe, stable home and mentoring, while at the same time youth work with our community partners (primarily REACH, Vadis, and Oasis Youth Center) to identify goals and links with health, educational, and vocational services. Housing options for homeless youth are extremely limited in our area. Our internal statistics indicate YHH clients are 20% LGBTQ, 33% had some disability, 33% were domestic violence survivors, 8% had escaped from sex trafficking, and 27% had had some involvement with the justice system. SHS helps over 300 individuals and families find safe, stable housing each year.