Homeshare: one way to fix loneliness

Headlines lately make it clear that for Canadians, the most pressing issues include housing affordability, loneliness, social isolation, and sustainable living — for example, aging in place. Homesharing addresses all of these, and I've seen the impact firsthand.Throughout my life and career, I have been fascinated and inspired by the positive effect intergenerational homesharing can have. I grew up in Beaverton, Ontario. There were fewer than 3,000 people living in town so when somebody got sick or had a problem, there wasn’t always a professional service you could hire. My grandmother was one of those people. My mom and I cared for her through her cancer, at home. I was 11, and I could already see that it was us — our unpaid labour — who were the only people keeping my grandma safe and comfortable. A seed was planted and I decided I wanted to be the social worker I wish we’d had.That’s what led me to work with homesharing organizations. When you pair older adults with spare bedrooms and students in need of affordable accommodations near their campuses, amazing things happen. One story I love is of a match that helped each other through the loneliness and isolation of the lockdown by meeting at either end of the staircase for a ‘socially-distanced’ moment of connection over coffee, every day. In my education and professional experience, I’ve learned that we need these kinds of consistent, human relationships and interactions for our basic health and wellbeing.A Matter of Public HealthLoneliness has become as widespread and serious as a pandemic. The US Auditor General calls it a public health crisis and says we ought to treat it with the seriousness we treat obesity and cigarette smoking. And a recent report shows that Toronto is one of the loneliest places in Canada. That contributes to debilitating anxiety and depression, and in fact, crisis is the new normal. We also have high costs in housing, homelessness, and climate change that are coming together to create a state of “polycrisis.” The Toronto Foundation’s 19th annual report — Toronto Vital Signs: The Power of Us — goes on to say that Torontonians are withdrawing: They count fewer close friends and family members, and they no longer go out to volunteer the way they did before.Older adults and students are two groups who are particularly prone to social isolation. And so they gain particular benefits when we put them together in intergenerational homesharing arrangements.HomesharingIn 2019, a UBC study showed that 70% of homeowners were eager to extend a helping hand to students and young adults. As one of the people surveyed put it, "[n]ot only do I have a great roommate, I also know I am helping support a young person trying to make his way in the world." Students also benefit from the community connection and experience of an older adult they share space with. For many, it’s their first time away from home, and the chance to live in a home-like setting can set them up for success. And everyone benefits from a little less loneliness.And that’s the essence of homesharing — a beautiful synergy between generations, where mutual support and learning become integral parts of daily life. According to that same study, 90% of homesharing participants would recommend it to family or friends, showing the profound impact it can have.And we can start right away. Astonishingly, while Canada grapples with a shortage of living spaces, according to the TREB Market Year in Review & Outlook Report 2018, there are over five million spare bedrooms in Ontario – that's about 25 years’ worth of construction.Solution: SpacesSharedHomesharing is as old as the spare bedroom, but no one has done a good job of normalizing it as a way to live, until now. This is partly what sparked the vision for SpacesShared, a platform I co-founded to redefine and streamline the homesharing experience. We use AI and technology to empower people to connect. SpacesShared works to unlock existing housing supply by making it safe and easy for older adults with spare bedrooms to share their homes with students. The platform:

• Lists host accommodations
• Lists guest profiles
• Supports profile viewing
• Includes virtual meetings and messaging between hosts and guests
• Houses rental agreements
• Handles rental payments
• Vets each potential host and guest
• Gives ongoing support via monthly check ins

And our Customer Success Team of real people is available for Hosts and Students to call. It's about creating connections, fostering comfort, and building a sense of community. Our team of SpacesShared facilitates the entire homesharing process, from profile viewing and messaging to virtual meetings, homesharing agreements, rental payments, and monthly check-ins.For me, SpacesShared is the culmination of my path so far: It’s about caring for each other in community, supporting the needs of older adults, understanding human relationships and making it all stable and sustainable. At SpacesShared, my goals are to serve students, serve older adults, and in the process build communities that are that much more interconnected and supported. And less lonely. People need this more than ever before, and now we have the technology to make it safe, comfortable, and easy.As Canadians of all ages navigate the growing demand for affordable housing and meaningful connections, homesharing can be a transformative solution.About Jackie TannerJackie is a Gerontological Social Worker specializing in innovative approaches to aging-in-place, grief & bereavement, life transitions, and social isolation. Jackie has experience across a diversity of settings including intergenerational homesharing, community-based mental health, and private practice psychotherapy. Jackie is an experienced group facilitator, mediator, and adult educator.

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