At Homeshare Living we offer a viable and proven solution to two big social problems – the growing issue of loneliness and isolation of the elderly and the struggle for young adults to find affordable housing, make ends meet and save for their future. Having direct experience through our own family members of how mutually beneficial a homeshare can be, we are determined to make this service available to more of the people that need it.
Our service is bespoke, personal and professional and we have extremely high standards when it comes to our matching, vetting, and monitoring services.
We really do take time and care in finding you the best match because we care most about it being the right one for you. We also continue to provide support for the duration of the homeshare with regular calls and visits too so do expect a lot of contact with us!.
We currently operate across the whole of London, in particular central London, North and North West London and Hertfordshire and we also provide Homeshare Living services in Manchester and Leeds. Our coverage of the UK is expanding all the time.
Our Team
Sarah Kaye
Founder and Co-ordinator
Sarah has always been a people person. A family lawyer for many years, she then went on to run a successful legal recruitment consultancy, using her natural matchmaking skills to source and match lawyers to new roles in law firms. Having heaps of natural empathy, excellent listening skills and an innate ability to get to know people quickly and understand their needs, Sarah felt naturally drawn to set up Homeshare Living in 2018 and bring together older people who lived alone, and younger people who needed accommodation, to enhance and bring joy to their lives. What’s more, she had personal experience of a similar arrangement back in the 1980’s, when her 85-year-old grandfather in London was successfully matched with a 19-year-old sharer from Portugal, a match that lasted almost six years. Sarah says: “The thought of older people living alone, feeling isolated and anxious, makes me very upset especially when I know it doesn’t have to be this way. This is why facilitating successful Homeshare matches, easing the feeling of loneliness for older people (and often the pressure on their families) by connecting them with kind and caring younger people who are struggling to pay extortionate rents, is so important to me. I love seeing the many benefits that come from Homesharing to all those involved – the elderly homeowners, their families, and the younger sharers”.
Tel 020 3137 6421
Carol Cohen
Co-ordinator
Carol has a long history in the security sector. Until 2015 she was Director of Security at the Community Security Trust and has since had a number of consultancy contracts in the policing and security sector. Safety is an issue that Carol takes extremely seriously, in her work and her life. Her thorough awareness of the kind of security issues that elderly homeowners can experience enhances our vetting service at Homeshare Living and makes her an ideal co-ordinator. In 2017 she was introduced to the concept of Homeshare and decided it was the ideal solution for her mother who, aged 90, lived alone in a large flat. “Although fit and independent, Mum was lonely, so companionship was a huge issue, while I needed the reassurance that she had someone kind and responsible around, especially at night-time”. Having seen the many benefits that come from having a well-matched sharer, Carol spreads the word to encourage others to do the same for their elderly loved ones. “Not only are the benefits huge for the homeowner and their children who have busy lives, but it is a great way of helping younger people who need affordable accommodation to be able to live and work or study in a big city. It really is a win-win situation”.
Tel 020 3137 6421
Ruth Thompson
Co-ordinator
Ruth worked as a lawyer for many years and has also worked in the voluntary sector running a training project for community benefit. Having relocated when her children were very young, she knows how challenging it can be living in a new city away from family and friends and how older relatives can be lonely when their loved ones are not on their doorstep. In all her roles, Ruth has always really enjoyed building up relationships with people and mentoring. She thinks everyone has a ‘story’ which makes them an individual. She says, “I love getting to know people and find it hugely rewarding to bring together two people who have things in common and who each benefit from homesharing. I wish my mum had had a second room to enjoy all the benefits that homesharing offers, she would have loved the companionship, and I would have so valued knowing that she had the overnight reassurance from someone kind.”
Tel 020 3137 6421
Amanda Reuben
Co-ordinator
Amanda spent her early career in the City, managing relationships with clients in Banking and Finance. She then turned to Recruitment, using her interpersonal skills to ensure the perfect job match between her clients and her candidates. She has successfully run her own business for the last 15 years and has recently joined the Homeshare Living Team. A natural communicator, she speaks three languages and prides herself on her innate ability to read people, to listen carefully and to maintain a high degree of empathy and sensitivity. With her own parents in their mid-eighties, Amanda is very much aware of the need for elderly people to live independently whilst accepting the need for perhaps companionship or additional light support around the house. “I have seen first-hand the mobility or modern world IT challenges faced by my parents and their friends and fully appreciate the benefit of another individual sharing their home and the many advantages it offers to both parties.”
Tel 020 3137 6421
As members of the national network of homeshare providers Homeshare UK (www.homeshareuk.org) we abide by its code of conduct and the procedural and monitoring standards within its Quality Assurance Framework ensuring that suitable policies and safeguarding procedures are in place.
We are also members of Shared Lives Plus and Homeshare International.
