Even in the best of times, meeting strangers to select an affordable place to live can be difficult.
(Its also difficult to truly socially distance when someone is giving you a tour of a tiny apartment.
For now, Zoom and Facetime tours will have to suffice.)
I am very happy with my current place in Washington, DC, which I share with two roommates.
I found it through the Facebook groupDC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland Housing, Sublets, and Roommates.
With more than 61,000 members, it is one of the biggest groups of its kind in the area.
I spoke to its founder, Carson Sweezy, a chef and business owner.
Sweezy started the group in 2015 after noticing the D.C. area lacked a housing group on Facebook.
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Housing is a community resource.
This means presenting yourself and your background along with what youre looking for in a living situation.
The lack of interference from an agent or broker is a draw for finding housing on Facebook.
There are groups dedicated to finding housing for Muslims, Asian-Americans and even vegans.
For some, finding appropriate housing can be a matter of safety as well.
There is power in having a living space that is queer-centric.
Theres an assumption that theres safety.
The ongoing pandemic has affected how Tessa runs the group.
(The LGBT) community is hurting a lot.
We are disproportionately homeless anyway, and the pandemic has made it worse.
This is especially true for queer people who are also brown or disabled, he said.
As a moderator, I did make a concrete change when Covid hit.
The bigger the city, the more diverse and numerous the housing groups.
If you dont see any specific groups for your city, Facebook Marketplace is also a good bet.
Whiteville, N.C., is the tenth least-populated city in America, with a whopping5,340residents.
Still, Facebook Marketplace shows there are dozens of nice homes available to rent.
Its all a matter of looking in the right place and trusting your gut.
Tips for Using Facebook to Find Housing
Olivia Smith is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
Probably not as good as youd like.
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