Just more than a year after getting started, Whidbey Island Share-a-Home has assisted almost 80 adults and children find or maintain affordable housing on South Whidbey.

Sandra Stipe, program coordinator for WISH, said more than 30 matches have been made since January 2004 between home providers and home seekers. Island-wide, 30 homeowners or families have shared their homes with 33 adult home seekers and 11 children.

“Most of them have been on the south end of the island,” Stipe said.

Participants seeking homes pay minimal or no rent depending on their individual and specific living arrangements. In exchange for their affordable housing, home seekers can share any combination of utilities, light housework, meal preparation, driving errands, yard work and companionship.

Many of the home seekers are senior citizens who are on a fixed income and can truly benefit from the companionship of living with another person.

The home providers often benefit because the extra income generated by the rent allows them to stay in what would otherwise be empty home, or through the extra security that comes with having a companion nearby.

Everyone is eligible for the program regardless of income. While some are looking for affordable housing or for help paying for a mortgage or expenses, others need a roommate for the extra help around the house. The program is not intended to be home health care for the seriously ill, nor does it provide emergency housing.

“The program has been very successful,” Stipe said. “The vast majority have just been wonderful.”

Interested applicants are required to provide three character references and must be willing to undergo a criminal background check through the Washington State Patrol. People who have been convicted of a felony will not be eligible. Applicants are asked to complete a WISH waiver and application including a personal profile to make the best possible match. A one-time donation of $10 from applicants helps to keep the a non-profit organization running.

Home providers and home seekers are each given a list of potential seekers or providers, depending on what living situation they seek. In a self-match process, Stipe said WISH facilitates a meeting between the two anonymous parties who have agreed to meet for the first time.

The primary home sharers must be at least 18, and the home shared must have at least two bedrooms, one for the home provider and one for the home seeker. Participants sign agreements similar to rent contracts. Notices to end the agreement must be made with enough notice to give the other party time to make new arrangements.

“It works out very well,” she said.

Stipe said she is energized by the number of matches WISH has facilitated in just over one year of operation. She said similar home-share programs in Bellevue and Seattle only average two matches per month, and that Whidbey Island — a much smaller community — averages a little more than two a month.

There are currently 34 home seekers on WISH’s waiting list and 13 home providers. Stipe said the need for home providers is especially urgent.

“We need homes,” she said. “We need more people that are willing to share their homes.”

Stipe said especially on the south end, affordable rental opportunities are sparse. With less rental apartments, the chances of finding low-cost housing are few and far between. About 94 percent of home seekers using the WISH program make less than $15,000 a year, which can make the process of finding affordable housing a daunting task.