Alone in home share scheme that 'offers huge potential to help older people'
A charity that supports older people has begun a three-month pilot scheme to match those who live alone and need support with students and young professionals who cannot afford a home.
Alone has teamed up with HomeShare, a private enterprise launched last year, to match its service users with people who need accommodation.
The pilot scheme will run until October 31 and aims to assist an ageing population to remain in their own homes, with suitable supports, while also offering affordable accommodation to younger people at a time of record housing shortages.
The HomeShare pilot initiative comes weeks after Alone’s report, , estimated a demand for home-sharing to have reached 1,000 places nationwide.
The intervention is timely, given that the latest report by property website Daft.ie shows monthly rents have reached their highest ever and average €1,300 a month.
Seán Moynihan, CEO of Alone, said: “This initiative offers huge potential to help older people, who may be struggling with loneliness or household tasks, and young professionals who are facing increasingly high rents.
He said home-sharing was not a replacement for carers or housekeepers but a way of making a difference to the wellbeing of older people living alone.
Companionship and peace of mind, knowing that they’re not alone in their home, can really help to maintain an older person’s independence’” said Mr Moynihan.
Lucie Cunningham, managing director of HomeShare, said her company was delighted to be partnering with Alone.
“We want to offer our services to as many older people as possible so that they have another option to support them to age at home for longer,” she said.
“Alone fits well with our ethos and I hope that by working together, we can raise awareness of HomeShare’s ability to solve the housing difficulties of older and younger people alike.”
