New platform connects senior homeowners with conscientious renters looking for affordable housing options, encouraging help around the house, social exchange, financial well-being and improved health.
Olive & Coop is a new home sharing platform out of Clarkston, WA, that aims to connect senior homeowners who want to age in place with conscientious renters willing to help with household chores in exchange for reduced rent. “Home sharing arrangements have many benefits,” states co-founder Robin Albers, “and people report improved quality of life, better eating and sleeping habits, and an overall sense of feeling safer in their homes.” Albers, along with co-founder and physician Natale Carasali, founded the company based on experiences taking care of their own parents. In trying to figure out how to help her father continue living in his own home, the idea of finding him a roommate was a light bulb moment, Albers says. Not only did it provide her peace of mind, but other options were either non-existent in her community or prohibitively expensive like assisted-living. “Home sharing can literally save families thousands of dollars every year” she says. This fact was not lost on her father, considering the average cost of assisted-living in the US is $4,500 per month and can be as high as $12,000 per month.
Olive & Coop knows that finding a suitable person to share your home can feel daunting, but they can help every step of the way. “We can help the homeowner or renter follow a process that has a high likelihood of success,” Carasali says. On their web-based app, which Albers likens to Airbnb meets match.com, homeowners can showcase their rentable space and include details on the chores they need help with, household amenities and any other information they would like to share. They also have the option to utilize the white glove service that Olive & Coop provides, which assists users with profile creation, photography, and facilitating agreements. Renters can easily search for suitable, flexible living arrangements based on their preferences and budget. Once a potential home sharing match is found, candidates can be vetted and background checks performed to ensure the safety of the arrangement.
Olive & Coop does not limit its scope to just one type of homeowner or renter, but rather embraces a variety of individuals and types of living arrangements. This can include students and professionals facing housing challenges, those relocating for work, older persons looking for a place to rent, and anyone with an extra room looking to strengthen their community and reduce living costs.
And although it is starting in the LC Valley and Moscow-Pullman area, Olive & Coop aims to expand its reach across the PNW and country with time. “At the end of the day” Albers says, “we are committed to forging meaningful connections between homeowners who want to live in their own homes and those needing a place to rent.”
Olive & Coop is a home sharing platform that redefines aging at home and addresses the national shortage of affordable housing. Co-founded by Robin Albers and Dr. Natale Carasali, the company is positioned to make a significant difference in communities across the United States. For more information about our services and mission, reach out to the founders of Olive & Coop at (509) 255-3620 or visit the website at www.oliveandcoop.com
