Innovative, Intergenerational Housing Pilot Project to Connect Older Adults and Post-Secondary Students in Peterborough
A new, collaborative pilot project to support aging in place, while simultaneously providing post-secondary students with safe and affordable housing, is being launched in partnership between Trent Centre for Aging & Society (TCAS) and Canada HomeShare.
“At TCAS, we are working on many diverse projects to connect older adults in our local Peterborough community with Trent University students in creative, mutually beneficial, and positive ways, and the homesharing model does just this,” says Dr. Elizabeth Russell, director of the Trent Centre for Aging & Society. “June is Seniors Month, and an ideal opportunity to launch a project that showcases our ongoing commitments to intergenerational connectivity.”
Canada HomeShare Peterborough is an intergenerational housing solution by the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE). Peterborough is one of 10 cities hosting a pilot to support aging in place for older adults while providing safe and affordable housing solutions for post-secondary students. In exchange for reduced rent of $400 - $600 per month, post-secondary students provide up to seven hours of support in the way of companionship, household tasks or errands for local older adults in their homes. These projects are being launched after the success of the Toronto HomeShare Pilot Project, following a social work facilitated model for housing led by Dr. Raza Mirza.
“Back in 2019, I was welcomed by TCAS’ Professor Elizabeth Russell to lead a session about Toronto HomeShare as part of their Housing Colloquium,” shares Dr. Mirza. “The conversations I had [surrounding] the session signalled to me three things: there was a great desire for those in Peterborough to age-in-place, […] there was great and local capital in the community for the program to be successfully implemented; and finally, that the novel model and the findings from the research we conducted as part of Toronto HomeShare resonated with the experiences of those living in Peterborough. It was the visionary leadership and initiative of Prof. Russell and TCAS that helped initiate the original conversations, and brought us to this point.”
Canada HomeShare is facilitated by a team of professional social workers who prioritize safety and security. All participants complete a vulnerable sector screening, and all homes undergo safety checks. Social workers provide ongoing support by conducting regular follow-ups and mediation. The social workers are there to support participants through every step to ensure a safe and happy HomeShare experience.
The Canada HomeShare Peterborough Advisory Committee includes representatives from Canada HomeShare, Trent Centre for Aging & Society, Trent Off-Campus Housing, Fleming College, Community Care Peterborough, the City of Peterborough, and Age-Friendly Peterborough.
Canada HomeShare Peterborough will begin matching students and older adults during the fall and winter of 2022. An information session will take place on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. in the Student Centre at Trent University (1680 West Bank Drive, Peterborough), where interested parties can learn more about the program and meet key members of the Canada HomeShare Peterborough program team. Please contact aging@trentu.ca to RSVP or for more information on the session.
Trent is a designated age-friendly university, and founding Canada HomeShare Peterborough is the most recent in a series of initiatives led by the Trent Centre for Aging & Society that connects students and older people through experiential intergenerational learning opportunities.
CONTACT INFO:
For more information contact:
Cara Walsh, Communications & Media Relations Officer, Trent University, (705) 748-1011 x6240 or carawalsh@trentu.ca
Posted on June 1, 2022