How city grant money is helping fund a home share program's success in Colorado

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon in Denver, Cheryl Powers and Elizabeth Battiste are going to walk their dogs. They're an unlikely duo but thanks to Sunshine Home Share Colorado's unique program, they're roommates and friends. 

"It was the right thing at the right time," said Cheryl. 

The Denver-based nonprofit has been working for the last five years to provide a roommate matching service. For cheaper than market rate rent, younger individuals can rent individual rooms in homes typically owned by older adults. In exchange, the tenant can help that resident around the house and provide companionship. 

"I love the idea that I can give someone like Elizabeth a better rate of rent," Cheryl, a longtime member of the program, explained. "And Elizabeth helps me out tremendously. There's a lot of seniors out there that could use a good solid roommate."

What was different than a normal ad on Craigslist or at a local gathering place is that Sunshine Home Share helped with the process of roommate screening. Their social workers match tenant to renter on a variety of factors and the two get to interview each other before deciding if they want to go through with it. Elizabeth has been a tenant for Cheryl for around a year and she helps where she's needed. 

"Doing the floors is kind of my job and you know... shoveling, yard work, if something needs to be done? Just make it happen," she explained. 

"I think Sunshine Home Share and programs like these are where grant money should be going," she continued. "They provide such a value to the entire region."

The program just this year received another round of grant funding from cities around the foothills, including Arvada which included the program in their open list of 2025 grant recipients.

"It is a very safe, thoughtful, carefully vetted program," said founder Alison Joucovsky. 

Those grants are vital, especially now, as nonprofits find themselves in somewhat precarious positions as funding priorities change at federal, state, and local levels. 

"It is how we are able to provide this really robust and wraparound care to the people that we serve," Joucovsky added.

The money coming from Arvada will be earmarked towards enhanced communication and financial wellness programs for older adults who are in need of affordable housing and support services.