Housing project to pair seniors with single-parent families
LONDON: An innovative startup is to pair seniors with single parent families. The program could develop ‘stronger, more resilient communities,’ says its creator.
A recent survey by the Ontario government shows that the vast majority of seniors want to age at home in their communities.
That’s not surprising, but more than half also recognize they’ll need assistance over the next five to 10 years.
Additionally, approximately one in four seniors in Ontario who live alone say they sometimes feel isolated. Moreover, there are long wait-lists for long-term care services.
Seniors are just one of many groups in Canada facing housing challenges. The federal government has deemed single parents, particularly women, as being at-risk for being unable to find affordable housing, often spending over 50 per cent of their income on rent.
The WeShare program would develop stronger, more resilient communities by enabling safe, affordable and innovative housing solutions for senior citizens and single-parent families.
NeighbourLink North York, a charity serving seniors in North York for almost 25 years, has partnered with Seneca College on a research project to determine the feasibility of an innovative housing-sharing arrangement called WeShare Housing.
This plan would empower senior homeowners to rent space for a reduced rate to single-parent families, in exchange for assistance with chores and companionship.
The WeShare program would develop stronger, more resilient communities by enabling safe, affordable and innovative housing solutions for senior citizens and single-parent families.
NeighbourLink’s mission is to foster an effective support network that helps enrich the quality of life and well-being of constituents in its service area, who are primarily persons with disabilities and seniors in North York.
The WeShare program came about when NeighbourhoodLink started to think about how it could support seniors who wish to age in their own homes, while reducing social isolation and encouraging community engagement.
NeighbourLink’s executive director Janice Wilson originally approached me with the idea for WeShare Housing, and I noted that the idea was similar to a program in Hamilton, in which students rent extra space from seniors.
This model has been proven to be effective in reducing seniors’ social isolation, so I contacted Seneca’s applied research, innovation and entrepreneurship department for funding, and thus the WeShare Housing project began!
The first phase of the project is to determine the interest and feasibility of the WeShare Housing initiative in NeighbourLink’s catchment area: North York.
We also want to assess the needs of seniors and single parents in the community to determine the most important criteria for creating compatible matches.
