58-year-old home owner seeks young renter to share space in Vancouver. Can offer below market rental rate in exchange for occasional dog walking and garden work.
No, it’s not a craigslist ad, but according to Global News, it is an example of the kind of agreements which the Empty Nests program seeks to support across Vancouver.
“The Empty Nest program is one example of an intergenerational solution to a challenging dilemma,” says Daniel Fontaine, BC Care Providers, CEO.
Notably, Vancouver residents have experienced soaring rental rates paired with incredibly low vacancy rates.
“These factors are making Vancouver nothing short of unaffordable for most young people in the City. Meanwhile, there are many seniors who have empty rooms and might also need an extra source of income, or even just some company, or someone to help with chores that they are finding more difficult. This is a brilliant example of an innovative solution to a complex problem,” says Fontaine.
Video report by Global BC News Hour
The Empty Nest program would seek mature home owners (defined as those over 50 years old) who have space to spare, and pair them with young renters. Part of matching the duos will include determining compatibility based on things like interests, strengths and hobbies, to ensure a good match.
Empty Nest is not the first organization to implement a solution which focuses on pairing older adults with younger people in a shared housing environment. Likewise, there has been a lot of interest in programming which pairs school programs, or daycare with seniors care homes.
“The emergence of this kind of programming indicates this it is possible to find novel solutions which look past generational divides,” says Fontaine. “Many people think that baby boomer and a millennial could not possibly have anything in common, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Programs like this have the potential to be successful because they look past age based differences and instead ask what each party can bring to the table to improve quality of life.”
Empty Nest hopes to begin matching pairs this summer.
Feature image via Global News.
