Up and coming author Abigail Mann’s debut novel The Lonely Fajita launches today. The book tells the story of Elissa, a 20 something, working in an unpaid internship and living in a shared house with her boyfriend out of convenience more than anything else, she needs to find a new and affordable place to live.
Sound familiar? We know that there are thousands of people particularly in London that are settling for over crowded and unsuitable housing that still isn’t affordable. Elissa is keen to make her new life in the capital work but so much is stacked against her. Then she finds an advert for a Homeshare opportunity.
Elissa enquires and is matched with Annie, a feisty older lady living in Hampstead in a beautiful house within a retirement community that would be a far cry from anything she could normally afford. They hit it off at the first match meeting and the story of how their friendship and the highs and lows of life in London unfolds.
We love the relationship that forms between Annie and Elissa and also the wider intergenerational friendships that come about as Elissa meets the neighbours and community and it is similar to many of our real Homeshare matches that are sharing their homes and lives right now. This picture shows Doreen and Anouck. Doreen helped Anouck with her English and gave her a comfortable place to live and Anouk took Doreen out and about exploring places she had never visited, helping her to regain confidence after a bad fall.
Homeshare has been around in the UK since the 80s and has seen a rise in matches in recent years, with over 1000 people participating in Homeshare matches over 2020. (latest report launching soon – watch this space!)
Homeshare UK has worked hard to promote the model and to bring up the standard of delivery ensuring good practice across all our members who deliver Homeshare services. Every one has a robust matching and vetting process as well as ongoing support to every match.
We are delighted that Abigail Mann’s novel is shining a light on Homesharing and the benefits to all those involved. If you are interested in finding out more about Homeshare, please have a read through our website to see how it works. Find a local provider in your area here and contact them direct.