Home Sharing Is Coming to Clallam County. Learn How Tomorrow
A new partnership with Nesterly launches locally, and a public webinar on Monday, January 26 offers a chance to ask questions and get involved
There is some genuinely good news to share.
Earlier this month, Clallam County officially signed a contract with Nesterly, a nationally recognized home sharing platform, clearing the way for their service to launch locally. This marks an important step toward adding a practical, near-term tool to our community’s affordable housing toolbox.
As many readers will remember from last year’s guest article by Nancy Stephanz, home sharing is not a silver bullet for our housing shortage. But it is a thoughtful, human-scale solution that can help right now. It connects people who have extra space in their homes with people who need a safe, affordable place to live, while providing structure, background checks, contracts, and ongoing support to both parties.
Home sharing has been particularly effective in other communities for:
Older adults who want to age in place but could use extra income or companionship
Students, seasonal workers, and early-career professionals struggling to find rentals
Employers and institutions facing workforce housing shortages
Homeowners with unused bedrooms or ADUs who want a responsible, supported way to rent
Importantly, every successful home share can also ease pressure elsewhere in the housing market by freeing up traditional rental units for families and long-term tenants.
With the contract now signed, Nesterly expects to begin onboarding Clallam County hosts in early February. To kick things off, they are hosting an open, public webinar tomorrow (Monday, Jan 26th) where anyone can learn how the program works and ask questions directly.
Nesterly Homesharing Information Session
Monday, January 26
3:00 PM CST (1:00 PM Pacific)
Open to potential hosts, renters, community members, and partners
RSVP Here
This session is designed for people who are simply curious, as well as those seriously considering participating. There is no commitment required. It is an opportunity to understand the process, the safeguards, and whether home sharing might be a good fit for your situation.
Nancy Stephanz will also be continuing her local outreach in February with step-by-step presentations to help people navigate the sign-up process and think through hosting thoughtfully and safely. If you are part of a community group, faith organization, or civic group that might benefit from a presentation, those conversations are just getting started.
Affordable housing challenges were not created overnight, and they will not be solved by a single idea. But progress happens when we stack practical solutions together, especially ones that build connection while meeting real needs.
If you have ever wondered whether home sharing could work for you, this webinar is a great place to start.
More updates soon.
I’m hopeful this works and I appreciate Clallam County trying something practical that can help in the near term. Home sharing can be a win when it’s done carefully and with strong safeguards.
That said, I do worry about hosts who are literally welcoming someone into their home. In my conversations with local property managers, one consistent theme is that the quality of many potential tenants right now is, frankly, a challenge. That makes screening, oversight, and fast corrective action absolutely critical. I pray Nesterly’s background checks are thorough and that they can step in quickly if a situation isn’t working.
One additional opportunity I’d love to see explored: we have a significant number of snowbirds who leave their homes empty for six months or more each year. If Nesterly could help match responsible roommates who act as caretakers while owners are away, that could unlock housing supply and protect homes at the same time.
This isn’t a silver bullet—but with the right guardrails, it could be one useful piece of the broader housing puzzle.