W
e’ve all heard tell of the
good old days, when no one
locked their doors and the
neighbours would just pop
by for tea and a chat.
According to the Office of
National Statistics, in 2017 5% of adults reported
feeling lonely often or always. This makes us look
back with longing more than fond nostalgia.
It doesn’t have to be this way – and, indeed,
there’s lots of evidence that times may be changing
as we reopen our homes to one another. Research
by PWC found that the ‘sharing economy’ – where
communities help and support each other with
goods and services – is growing and growing.LODGINGS PLUS PLUS
The internet often gets blamed for our increasing
isolation, but entrepreneurs such as Judy Niner,
founder of mondaytofriday.com, have found the
opposite to be true. She started the website when,
exhausted from commuting between Oxford and
London, she wondered if someone might rent her
their spare room just for weekdays.
For some, it’s a purely transactional experience,
but for many, sharing their home has lots of happy
side benefits. “It is a big thing to open your home,”
Judy says. “But for someone who lives alone or who
has stopped working, it’s nice to have that feeling ofCome on in...
THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS TO OPEN UP YOUR HOUSE
AS THERE ARE BENEFITS TO DOING SOsomeone coming and going. And for the person
staying, it’s somewhere comfortable, welcoming,
and the same every week, without having to move
in lock, stock and barrel.”
Shared Lives Plus takes this one step further.
A network of local charities, it encourages older
people to share homes with younger people who
need inexpensive places to stay, in exchange for
some support. They report a 42% rise in people
sharing their homes this way between 2017 and- “It allows people who need some low-level
support to keep their independence and stay in
their own homes for longer,” says homeshare sector
development officer Alice Williams. “It enriches the
lives of both the householder and the homesharer
and is a great way for both to widen their horizons,
learn new skills and meet new people.”
HOSTING REFUGEES
Similarly, in 2015, Sara Nathan, together with her
brother Timothy and his wife Nina, realised they
could use their homes to meet a different kind of
need. Refugees at Home began life as a Facebook
shout-out for people willing to host a refugee or
asylum seeker for a couple of nights. Now they’re
co-ordinating places to stay across the UK, as part
of the No Accommodation Network, which supports
hosting schemes to recruit volunteer households to
open their homes to people in need. The networkWords: JOHANNA DERRY