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Planning for the Future:

Home Share Options Benefit Individuals and Communities

According to the World Health Organization Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 years will increase from 12% to nearly 22% . It was also predicted that by 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than 5 years (1). Of the many policy decisions and supports to be considered in order for our communities to accommodate the influx of older adults with specific needs, perhaps one of the most important things to consider is housing. The City of Brantford identified housing of one of the 8 key aspects for “Age-Friendly” communities to focus on when considering best practices to support older adults as they age in place (2). After looking through the documents, it is my belief that there are options that have not yet been considered. Options that would prove valuable to some older adults who have the capacity and resources to consider alternative housing models like Home Sharing.

Many communities all over Ontario have adapted models of Home Sharing, or “Co’Living” and have found that both individuals and communities are benefiting.

For example, Home Share programs in Toronto pair college and university students seeking affordable housing while school with local older adult homeowners. Both students and seniors reap the benefits of increased social interaction, affordable accommodations and companionship. Part of the student agreement is to help the senior around the house with general cleaning and other tasks associated with home maintenance. Loyalist College in Ontario takes this mutually beneficial, intergenerational partnership to the next level by pairing senior home owners with international students. Students and seniors have the added bonus of adding increased cultural knowledge and support to the list of benefits that this intergenerational relationship opportunity. Of course, many seniors across Ontario are choosing to use third party reputable services to pair like minded seniors to other seniors. Many are choosing to sell their homes in order to purchase newly renovated and accessible accommodations with an eye toward future needs of all parties. In addition to this, seniors are becoming advocates for their own vision of how they want to age and are taking the time to educate themselves about the legal side of the matter and are entering into living contracts carefully and with advise and support of professionals.

As most of us know, the housing landscape of Brantford is changing as our population continues to grow. Affordable housing options are decreasing but the need for these spaces are not. Wait lists are long for both subsidized housing as well as retirement residents. Costs continue to increase.

For some, alternative housing models like Home Share is not an option and the list of challenges to participating in programs such as these is long. As we look to the future of Brantford and realistically consider how many affordable housing units we can accommodate and afford, it is imperative that seniors advocate for what they consider the best vision for their own futures. It is worthwhile for policy makers and advocates for seniors to re-think the way we look at housing as the population of adults 55 and over continues to increase. Looking beyond traditional models should not be considered radical or beyond the scope possibility just because they are new. Seriously, what have we got to loose?

For more information on Shared Housing Programs in Ontario, call “Buzz Me”, our call centre for seniors and ask for information at 1-866-999-2899 Monday through Friday 8am to 8pm or send a message through our website at www.goskip.org.

References:

(1) World Health Organization

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health

(2) Brantford’s Age Friendly Strategy

https://www.brantford.ca/en/living-here/resources/Documents/Healthy-Aging-City-of-Brantford-Age-Friendly-Strategy.pdf

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