Homeshare brings together people who have a spare room with those who are happy to provide ten hours of support around the house each week in return for affordable, sociable accommodation. Together, Householders and Homesharers share home life, time, skills and experience.

Here is a short video about Homeshare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJY_UoNrP3c

Generations living together is not a new idea, throughout the ages families have lived together to support each other but what if you don’t have any family or they don’t live nearby or you value your independence and don’t want your children, grandchildren or nieces and nephews under your feet?

It can seem like a new idea to share your home with an unrelated, younger person but this is not new in the UK. We are hearing now, more than ever, that we are living through a global pandemic and also a loneliness pandemic too. People need human connection and company for their mental wellbeing. Someone checking in and taking the time to have a chat. Being lonely can be as damaging to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day reports the Campaign to End Loneliness.

Loneliness is not just an issue that can affects us as we get older, while people over 75 are the loneliest age group in the UK, the second and third loneliest, are people between 21 - 25yrs and 25 – 35yrs. These people are also, most likely to be renting and spending a disproportionate amount of their income on accommodation.

So perhaps it’s time to rethink ‘home’ and who you share it with?

Could you be a Householder?

As a Householder, you may need a bit of help around the house or garden, a lift to the shops or just someone to have a meal with and chat to. Homesharers might be new to a city, studying or in low-income employment.

Each Homeshare match has the back up of their local Homeshare organisation, which carefully selects and approves them and individually matches them around shared interests and lifestyle, providing security and household checks, and ongoing support provided to both. Homeshare does not include any element of personal care or any regulated activity. It is an equal relationship based on both parties having something they need and something they can give.  Neither party is providing a ‘service’ to the other.  

We’d love to hear your thoughts on Homeshare. Could you spare five minutes to complete a survey? https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/29M5JYG

If you would like to discuss Homeshare please contact tim(at)sharedlivesplus.org.uk

You can also find out more about Homeshare here homeshareuk.org