With Homeshare Week 2024 emphasising the value homesharing brings to families and communities, the recent World Homeshare Congress provided a key platform to share knowledge and strengthen this growing movement. Organised by Homeshare International, Associazione AMA, and Rete Nazionale Coabitare Solidale, the congress was titled ‘Under One Roof’ and held in Trento, Italy. It brought together Homeshare practitioners and researchers from across the globe to explore new ideas and approached to shared living.
Marian Pocock, Manager at Homeshare Oxfordshire – a service provided by Age UK Oxfordshire – attended the congress alongside Zeynep, who is featured in a new film about homesharing in the region. Together, they co-facilitated a workshop where they shared the film. “We are delighted that our film, ‘More than just the Match,’ was so well received” Marian said. “We wanted it to capture the true essence of homesharing in Oxfordshire and highlight its unexpected benefits. Huge thanks to Homeshare International and Associazione AMA for giving us the opportunity to share our work and for hosting such an inspiring event.”
Cheryl Snider, Chair of Homeshare International, said:
‘The presence of Marian and Zeynep from Homeshare Oxfordshire at our World Homeshare Congress in Trento was absolutely invaluable. Having a young homesharer present to speak about the value of homesharing was a real highlight of the congress. Their workshop ‘More than just the match’ brought very welcome attention to the human stories at the heart of successful homeshare matches. The wonderful film they showcased was so well received that I included it in my closing remarks so that all congress delegates could take away its powerful message. ‘
The congress went beyond discussing homeshare programme management, opening up broader conversations on welfare and housing cultures. It provided an excellent opportunity for participants to exchange ideas, build new models, and develop practices that support innovative housing solutions.
Attendees took part in a mix of plenary talks, panel discussions and workshops. This year also introduced some new features:
- Homeshare International in conversation pre-congress session: The first in-person gathering of Homeshare International Network, where participants addressed common challenges and explored collaborative solutions.
- The Storytelling Lab: Researchers from Trento University interviewed participants about their Homeshare experiences. These stories will be part of an archive to promote Homeshare in the future.
- Leave Your Mark!: Led by Giuliana Costa, Associate Professor in Sociology at Politecnico di Milano, this initiative invited participants to contribute videos, documents, and other resources, to build a collection that highlights the important work being done in the field of cohabitation.
Watch Homeshare Oxfordshire’s ‘More than just the Match’ here: