Home sharing brings together people who may not have the opportunity to pool resources with family members but are still looking to replicate the financial benefits. Photo Credit: Niagara College.
With the Canadian housing crisis continuing to impact millions of residents across southern Ontario, the need to ensure that students have adequate and affordable living options is more pressing than ever. Niagara post-secondary institutions are working to meet the challenge.
On Jan. 9, Niagara College and the University of Niagara Falls Canada announced an innovative partnership with SpacesShared. SpacesShared is a brand-new Canadian business in the technology sector. It seeks to facilitate networking between young people who are seeking accessible housing and older residents who are looking to stay in their homes, have spare bedrooms and need extra support.
“At SpacesShared, we know that for older adults, aging in place is top of mind, and that it doesn’t take a lot to help people stay in their home happily, safely, for longer,” said Rylan Kinnon, the Chief Executive Officer at SpacesShared. “We urge older adults with a room to spare to learn how easy it is to support aging in place with the help of shared spaces.”
The vision of SpacesShared in promoting home sharing can be understood in some respects as a similar strategy to the rising trend of multigenerational families living in one home. Home sharing brings together people who may not have the opportunity to pool resources with family members but are still looking to replicate the financial benefits.
Niagara College President Sean Kennedy also spoke about the opportunities SharedSpaces is helping to create.
“This partnership with SpacesShared is an important part of Niagara College’s overall housing action plan that was announced last year,” said Kennedy. “The College is committed to rapidly expanding housing options for students [and] Spaces Shared offer a safe and affordable housing option [that will] enhance the experience of our students.”
Cyndi McLeod currently serves as the Canadian Chief Executive Officer of Global University Systems, which owns the University of Niagara Falls Canada. She too promoted the shared-living approach.
“UNF’s focus is on building the most innovative and future ready institution in Canada,” McLeod said. “The reality is there are so many good homes out there with vacant rooms and there are many students looking for housing. We just needed an innovator like Spaces Shared to connect the dots.”
Those interested in investigating the partnership further, and/or the respective organizations are invited to visit the following links:
Nick Redekop completed his Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Labour Studies at Brock University. He has previously served in municipal and federal politics. In his free time, Nick enjoys following sports, taking part in outdoor activities, and reading biographies. Nick resides in Niagara Falls
