Humber College announced that it has joined forces with SpacesShared to connect students who need affordable housing with older adults who have available space in the GTA area. The program is current seeking hosts in the west GTA, Peel Region and surrounding areas.
SpacesShared is a secure platform that helps older adults who are interested in home sharing connect with verified student guests. SpacesShared and the team behind the platform handles the entire process — from profile viewing and messaging to virtual meetings, home-sharing agreements, rental payments, and monthly check-ins. Reduced rent options are available when students contribute to household chores.
“Students get affordable rent, an informal introduction to the community they’re studying in, and a living arrangement that feels like home,” officials said in a statement. “Older adults have an opportunity to give back, get a hand with chores, and make some extra money.”
The platform has already launched in the Barrie area to help Georgian College students find new housing opportunities and is expanding its reach to the Greater Toronto Area through this new collaboration with Humber.
Students can apply for the program waitlist now, and will be contacted once a supply of host homes becomes available. Hosts are needed and can sign up anytime.
“Affordable housing is a significant challenge, particularly for international students,” Humber College spokesperson Sylvie Lendvay said. “The SpacesShared platform helps domestic and international students find a new place to call home and encourages intergenerational relationships that can help alleviate the social isolation that both hosts and students can sometimes feel.”
