Today marks the start of Homeshare Week 2023. Throughout the week, Homeshare programmes across the UK will be raising awareness of how they can support their local community by safely matching older people living alone with those seeking affordable accommodation. This year, Homeshare Week will be centred around the Seven Solutions of Homeshare:
- Homeshare can help tackle loneliness.
- Homeshare offers low level practical support.
- Homeshare offers affordable accommodation.
- Homeshare can help forge intergenerational bonds.
- Homeshare can help decrease the stress on local services.
- Homeshare can help reassure family members.
- Homeshare can help householders and homesharers feel safe.
What better way to kick of Homeshare Week than announcing that eight new Homeshare organisations are set to join the Homeshare UK network, making Homeshare more widely available across the UK. The new members will be delivering Homeshare from the South East of England all the way up to Scotland.
“We are absolutely delighted that eight new members have joined our Homeshare UK network. Homeshare is a fantastic model and to know that not everyone in the UK has access to it is disheartening. Everyone has the right to feel safe and supported in their home for as long as possible. This is another positive step towards everyone in the UK having access to something which should be commonplace.” Says Lynne Harrison, Head of Membership at Shared Lives Plus.
These programmes will help reduce loneliness in local communities by matching those in need of a bit of extra support with those who have a housing need. There will be massive benefits for the people involved – companionship, affordability, and safety – as well as benefits to the wider local community – efficient use of housing stocks, less stress on local services, and social cohesion between generations. Homeshare is a mutually beneficial arrangement, the householder remains in their home for longer, and the homesharer has an affordable place to live.
These programmes will prioritise safety and safeguarding – guided by Homeshare UK’s bespoke good practice guidance – ensuring that both parties involved feel certain about the process. Matches will be led by specialist Homeshare coordinators who will oversee an extensive matching process which involves numerous interviews between both parties, often with the householders family involved, as well as DBS checks.
Our aim is to make Homeshare available to everyone in the UK, and these eight new programmes are a positive step towards this. They are in the process of setting up and getting ready to start accepting matches in the new year. Once we have more details on how you can enquire with them, we will share. For more information about these eight new members please contact us on contact@homeshareuk.org