A new Australian study has found that intergenerational homesharing could provide a practical way to tackle two growing challenges at once: housing affordability for younger Australians and social isolation among older people.
The Anglicare Homeshare: Phase 1 Report, released by Anglicare Southern Queensland in partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast, explored whether matching older homeowners with younger renters could provide affordable accommodation while helping older Australians remain connected, independent and living in their own homes. Read the report here.
Researchers found strong support for the concept, particularly among younger people struggling to find affordable housing, but identified significant barriers that would need to be addressed before the model could be adopted at scale.
The report suggests homesharing is likely to be most successful if introduced to older homeowners before they require significant care, particularly among newly retired empty-nesters with spare bedrooms who are still active and independent.
Rather than targeting people already receiving higher levels of home care, researchers concluded younger retirees represent the strongest opportunity for future homesharing programs, although concerns around privacy, safety and lifestyle remain significant.
The research comes as housing affordability continues to deteriorate across Australia, while many older Australians continue to live alone in large family homes with unused bedrooms.
Researchers note that many older homeowners are asset rich but increasingly socially isolated, while younger Australians face escalating rents and limited housing availability, creating an opportunity for mutually beneficial living arrangements.
Participants across the study said the greatest benefits of homesharing were companionship, mutual support and helping older people remain safely in their communities for longer.
For older participants, simply having another person in the home offered reassurance in the event of illness or a fall, while younger participants saw opportunities for affordable housing alongside meaningful intergenerational relationships. However, both groups acknowledged that successful arrangements would depend heavily on compatibility, trust and clearly defined expectations.
A consistent finding throughout the research was the importance of an independent organisation to manage the process.
Participants said any future homesharing model would require robust screening and matching, police and reference checks where appropriate, written agreements, mediation services and ongoing welfare checks to help resolve issues before they escalated.
Rather than relying on informal arrangements, researchers found participants wanted the reassurance of a trusted third party that could oversee safeguards and provide ongoing support to both homeowners and renters.
The report stops short of describing homesharing as a standalone solution to Australia’s housing crisis.
Instead, it concludes the model should be viewed as one element within a broader mix of community-based housing responses, alongside home modifications, better support for informal family arrangements and education to help Australians share homes more successfully.
The research forms the first phase of a broader Anglicare project aimed at designing and eventually piloting a formal homesharing service in Australia. Future work will focus on developing an operational model before testing the concept through a pilot program.
