Home Match Alameda County  
Office Hours Monday – Friday 9-5pm. In-person appointments will take place at Fremont City Hall on Tuesday and Thursdays by appointment. In- person appointments offered at the Downtown Oakland Senior Center by appointment only on Wednesdays from 9am-1pm.
Program Information
Home Match is a free nonprofit home-sharing service provided by Covia, a Front Porch partner, that helps potential housemates connect with one another. Home Match’s goal is to improve lives and communities by bringing people together to share homes. Home Match connects home seekers (people looking for housing) with home providers (people who have extra room in their house). The program makes potential matches based on compatibility factors such as budget, location, and lifestyle preferences. Home Match provides a comprehensive application process which includes photo ID verification, background checks, verifying income, and conducting home visits.
In terms of timing, because matches are based on compatibility rather than a lottery or waitlist, matches can be made very quickly (within a few weeks), or it can take months for the right fit and timing to come along. Given this, Home Match is unfortunately not usually able to meet immediate or emergency housing needs.
Room Prices: Rooms often range from $900 and up, but can go higher in some cities. Room price is set by the home provider and varies based on location, amenities, task exchange, and other factors. A task exchange is an optional arrangement in which a home seeker helps a home provider with household activities—such as cooking meals, running errands, or walking the dog—in exchange for lower costs. Home Match does not arrange any hands-on, personal, or medical care; Home Match is not an alternative to in-home care. For a match involving a task exchange, rooms tend to be $800 or below.
Eligibility: In order to qualify an applicant must be 18 years of age or older and must live, work, or study in Alameda County, earn less than $107K annual gross income (single- person household) and must disclose all felony and misdemeanor convictions as well as probation and parole status on the Home Match application. Applicants on active parole or probation and/or those with a felony conviction are not eligible for the program. Applicants with active warrants and pending felony and misdemeanor charges will have to have the warrants and charges resolved before consideration for the program.
Application process for Home Seekers includes: application, background check, collecting 3 references, submitting copy of photo ID and proof of income representative of the past 3 months, and intake interview. Sufficient income documents include bank statements, pay stubs, benefits statements. Program accepts single individuals, couples, and children but have the most placement success with single individuals. Intake interviews may be virtual or in-person.
Application process for Home Providers includes: application, background check, collecting 3 references, submitting a copy of photo ID, and a home visit from Home Match staff. Home Providers can use Home Match services for multiple rooms in their home or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Home Match is unable to provide matching for fully vacant rental properties with the exception that we do work with accessory dwelling units (granny units) and at times, with official affordable housing unit. Home Provider must have a private room for each home seeker and themselves. Each person has their own space and share common areas. Home Providers can be home owners or master tenants.

Matching Process: After clients are interviewed by Home Match staff, clients are introduced to potential matches and given contact information/references. Home Seekers and Home Providers are responsible for contacting potential matches and references. If two individuals agree to live together, Home Match staff helps both parties complete a Living Together Agreement which determines house rules and the terms and conditions of their agreement. Once a move in is conducted, Home Match staff provides follow up support if needed.
Other:

• Utilities - depends on the match
• Background check  - free
• Accepts vendor pay - All subsidies must be considered by all types of housing except for Section 8 project-based properties. https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2020/02/SourceofIncomeFAQ_ENG.pdf
• Accepts co-signers
• Will work with evictions on a case-by-case basis
• Will work with Deposit Assistance
• Can be near public transportation - depends on match
• Can be near schools and shops - depends on match

Contact Information:

• Home Match (South Alameda/Tri-City)
  • Location: 3300 Capitol Ave. Building B, Fremont, CA 94538
  • Phone Number: 510.574.2173
  • HomeMatchAlameda@frontporch.net

 

• Home Match (City of Oakland)
  • Location: 200 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94610 (Wednesdays 9am-1pm by Apt Only)
  • Phone Number: 510.350.4367
  • Email: HomeMatchAlameda@frontporch.net