Connecting Generations Through Affordable Housing and In-Home Help (JoeyCo LA)

Affordable housing and homelessness

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

We see two critical challenges colliding in LA: students trying to pursue their dreams in an unaffordable world where making ends meet seems simply impossible, and older adults are living alone, "house rich and cash poor", often unsure how to find the help that would let them truly thrive. 20% of LA seniors live alone, and 30% of three bedroom homes are owned by older adult "empty nesters". More than half of all university students are housing insecure. More than half of Angelenos report experiencing loneliness, and the health consequences of isolation can be profound. 60%+ older adults want to age in place, but aren't sure how to do so safely.
Here's what we've learned: these problems can solve each other. Most existing solutions treat these as independent issues—student housing here, family and older adult services there. With JoeyCo's help, LA can support each other across generations.

JoeyCo LA exists to help Hosts and Joeys find each other, "trade" rent and wages in compliance with regulations, and stay safe and happy throughout the relationship.
How it Works: Students ("Joeys") pay rent monthly to the Host and work part-time for the household (typically 5-30 hours weekly on everything from driving, to trash cans, to pet care), earning that rent back as they go. On the flipside, families and older adults get that rental income, making reliable, flexible support with daily tasks much more accessible.
Our 'white glove' matching process ensures a great fit between Host & Joey through high community standards and code of conduct requirements, comprehensive screening, interpersonal fit assessment, and ongoing support. We're not just finding roommates—we're creating a community full of partnerships where a math major might help with a 10th grader's geometry homework while living affordably near campus, or where a nursing student provides friendship to an aging adult while saving thousands on rent.
This grant will establish JoeyCo's LA operations through local hiring to ensure high touch service, community presence on local college campuses and other student organizations, and configuration of our model to help LA Hosts comply with local rental and employment regulations. We'll launch with targeted outreach to underserved communities, ensuring equitable access to both affordable housing for students and support services for older adults and families.

When JoeyCo succeeds, LA County becomes a place where residents of all ages thrive. Students graduate with manageable finances, not mounting debt balances and crushing side job schedules. Families thrive —busy parents get backup, aging adults stay healthy and independent longer, and everyone feels less isolated. JoeyCo unlocks neighborhood bedroom rental inventory increasing housing access.
Neighborhoods become stronger as interpersonal support networks deepen. A college student who helped a family through a tough year stays connected long after graduation. An aging adult who mentored a pre-med student watches them become a doctor. Children grow up seeing different generations work together, learning that community isn't just proximity—it's caring. As one of our Host said, trying to explain to us his interest in the program, "Oh my wife and I are people people - I haven't met our Joey yet, but we WILL be going to their graduation!!"
JoeyCo is committed to helping Angelenos flourish.