To the Editor:Re “How We Can Fix Our Loneliness Epidemic,” by Nicholas Kristof (column, Sept. 7), and “Flexible Housing,” by Michelle Cottle (Opinion, Sept. 10):In recent weeks, Mr. Kristof and Ms. Cottle have written convincingly about the problems of loneliness and isolation and the need for more flexible housing options as our population ages.
In neither piece was there any mention of the option of home sharing, which is a low-cost and immediate means of aiding the housing crisis for both young and old.
At Home Share Oregon, a nonprofit based in Portland, we connect homeowners who have spare rooms — many of whom are mortgage-burdened, lonely and living on meager Social Security checks — with renters struggling to find a home.
There was a time when boardinghouses were part of the cultural norm and helped bring people together.
We are working to change the cultural norm by moving forward with a proven means of housing people while at the same time building financial resilience and combating the loneliness epidemic.
Persons:
Nicholas Kristof, Michelle Cottle, Kristof, Ms, Cottle, boardinghouses
Organizations:
Share, Social
Locations:
Portland