Charleston-based organization helping residents find affordable housing

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Access to affordable housing is a growing problem for any in the Holy City; however, a locally based, community-driven organization is doing what it can to help connect young professionals with housing resources.

CoLife founder and Charleston native Derek Snook says the housing crisis can be better solved through the lens of human connection and trust than only the need for more beds.

Snook founded CoLife with the goal of fixing a national crisis through resources that were already on hand. He said some 24 million Americans nationwide live alone in a two- or three-bedroom house.

His platform uses that supply to help connect nurses, teachers, city employees, and graduate students with homeowners.

More specifically, he said that in the Charleston area, there are at least 70,000 homeowners who have a three-bedroom, two-bath house and live alone. Many are willing to rent out a room when there is an easy and safe way to do so. That premise was the launching pad for CoLife.

“We do the background and the credit check, people come and put in all of their preferences, where they want to live, their budget, not just that but they can choose who they want to live with, the person, the age, the gender, even go into their philosophical beliefs, and then we show them all of their matches for free, they then get to meet those matches in person and then the renter will typically sign a lease where there rent is 65-70% off what it would cost them to get their own place,” he explained. “It’s also furnished, it’s also flexible, and it’s a much better experience because they are living with a homeowner that is not a passive landlord.”

You can find more on the process of becoming a host or guest on the CoLife website.

Average rent prices for platform users sit at around $950 a month, and a detailed questionnaire looks to match homeowners and tenants with similar lifestyles and interests.