Companion housing · Portland, Oregon

A safer, happier home is possible.

Room for Help matches older adults who want to stay in their homes with carefully screened Helpers who need an affordable place to live. Everyday help, good company, and peace of mind for the whole family.

I’m planning for a parent I have a spare room I’m looking for housing

An older woman at her kitchen table while a younger woman washes up at the sink.

Someone handing a basket of groceries to an older woman at her front door.

A spare bedroom with the bed made and light from two windows.

A home that works better for both

A good match can make everyday life easier for two people at very different stages of life. Each brings something valuable to the home, and both have something to look forward to.

For the Host

A helping hand with errands, household tasks, and the things that have become a little harder to manage alone
Someone to share a meal with, catch up over coffee, or simply enjoy having around
More freedom to enjoy the home and neighborhood they love

For the Helper

A comfortable place to live, with rent at $0. Room for Help’s match and membership fees apply separately.
More room in the budget for savings, education, or getting established
The chance to build a meaningful friendship with someone from another generation

Two people. One shared household.

Each contributes what they can. Both benefit from what the other brings.

Cost of the room: $0
Cost of household help: $0

Separate Room for Help program fees apply.

What a little help might look like

Knowing what to expect helps everyone feel comfortable sharing a home. Help is never required. Depending on what you both agree to, everyday help might include:

Cooking, dishes, laundry, and keeping the house tidy
Groceries and errands
Rides to appointments or to see friends
Yard work, taking out bins, and light household tasks
Help with pets, technology, and video calls with family
Sharing meals, conversation, and everyday companionship

How Room for Help Works

Tell us what would make life easier.

Spend about 15 minutes telling us about your home, the help you’d like, and what matters most to you. We’ll help you get your room Match Ready, too!
Meet your matches.

We’ll share up to three carefully selected, screened Helpers. You choose who you’d like to meet, and we’ll guide the introductions.
Meet first.

Get to know each other by phone and during a home visit. Take time to talk about routines, shared spaces and what you each want from living together. Both people sign the weekly lease before the first overnight stay.
Make it official.

When you both decide to move forward, complete and sign your weekly lease using the Room for Help template. Your coordinator helps you through the steps and planning for move-in.

Every Helper is carefully chosen

Our team takes time to get to know each Host and Helper before making introductions.

Helpers come through trusted community referral channels and complete our interview and screening process before being introduced to Hosts.

Helpers don’t browse a public directory of older homeowners. We make introductions privately.

Where would you like to start?

An older man and a younger man looking at a tablet together on a sofa.

For families

Planning ahead for Mom or Dad

You’ve been handling the errands, the calls, and the worry. There’s a middle path between doing it all yourself and assisted living.

Get started Read common questions

An older woman gardening among flowers on a bright day.

For Hosts

Staying in the home you love

A hand with the heavy things, and good company at dinner.

See what it could look like

A man unpacking boxes in a sunlit bedroom.

For Helpers

Interested in becoming a Helper?

A welcoming home, an affordable place to live, and an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in someone’s everyday life.

Learn about becoming a Helper

Now welcoming Portland families