In Clarkston, a home sharing company helps people find housing

Dean Johnson, 78, and Lane Phillips, 83, have been living together in Clarkston, Washington, since the fall of 2024.

“We started off as being, you know, strangers with each other. From my standpoint, I now have somebody … who is a friend that lives with me,” Phillips said.

The two men aren’t related — they met through a home sharing business called Olive & Coop.

“We basically describe Olive & Coop as analogous to Match.com meets Airbnb,” said co-founder Robin Albers.

Albers and her partner, Tali Carasali, got the idea for the business after a scary incident a few years ago.

“I was traveling for work and I got a call from my uncle, and he told me that my dad had had a fall,” Albers said. “He was down for two days.”

Albers’ dad recovered, but after rehab, he wanted to go back home. Albers said she knew that he’d need a lot of help with tasks like cooking and cleaning. She began looking for services to assist her father back at home, but it was difficult.

Albers’ dad eventually returned home with help. But after their experience, Albers, a Clarkston city council member, and Carasali, a physician, decided to pursue a home sharing business. 

The company has successfully paired older and younger adults together, but there’s no age requirements, as Johnson and Phillips demonstrate. 

Phillips, the homeowner, had a fall 11 years ago that put him in a wheelchair.

“I’m very lucky that I have Dean because he helps me when I do need … some assistance,” Phillips said.

For the homeowner, the benefits of Olive & Coop can include safety — having someone around, just in case. For the renter, it’s about affordable housing when other options are often limited. 

For Johnson though, who’s the renter, the benefits go beyond financial. He enjoys living with Phillips, who often cooks for the two of them.

The process

An owner and renter will connect online, where Olive & Coop helps to facilitate communication between potential pairs. That includes asking about preferences on organization and addressing conflicts. 

When posting a listing, Olive & Coop offers a form for homeowners to describe their space, outline pet and smoking policies, and add responsibilities, like household chores for the renter. In some cases, helping with chores around the house can be exchanged for a lower rent.

Homeowners can also write in what the rent will cost, and upload photos of the space.

A need for housing

As a city council member, Albers says she sees the need for affordable housing in her work. 

“We have a number of people in our community that are at risk for being unhoused. We have a number of people in our community who are homeless,” she said.

Albers sees Olive & Coop as one “piece of the puzzle” to help give people an opportunity to be housed in a safe and secure environment.

Johnson said securing housing is especially difficult for retired people. He had found an apartment, but it would have cost him $1,400 a month with utilities. Now, living with Phillips, he’s paying $400 a month.

Johnson said when Olive & Coop came along, it was a godsend.