Homesharing enables two or more unrelated people to share housing for their mutual benefit. There are a number of reasons why you might want to share a home with another person. For example, you may offer a private bedroom and shared common area in exchange for rent, help around the house or a combination of the two.

The National Shared Housing Resources Center is a national nonprofit that offers a Directory of programs that can help you locate:

• A homeowner interested in sharing their house with you, or
• A person interested in coming to live in the home that you own. 

The National Center notes, “a home sharer might be a senior citizen, a person with disabilities, a homeless person, a single parent, an AIDS patient, or simply a person wishing to share his or her life with others….[s]hared housing offers companionship, security, mutual support and much more.”

The National Center lists shared housing programs in 3 categories.

• Match-up programs - These help people with homes to find a compatible person to pay rent or possibly provide services in exchange for a reduced rent.
• Shared living residences – These involve a number of people living cooperatively as an unrelated family in a large dwelling.
• Information Only Programs - These offer resources and referrals to other agencies.

The list includes the description and pictures at the website of one of the Maryland homesharing programs, St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center, which serves Baltimore City and Baltimore County.