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
Director and Co-ordinator
Sarah has always been a people person. Initially a family lawyer, she went on to run a successful legal recruitment consultancy, using her natural matchmaking skills to source, select and match lawyers to roles in law firms. Being a truly successful recruiter means having natural empathy, something Sarah has in spades and this also makes her an ideal co-ordinator for Homeshare Living. She has always had an innate ability to get to know people quickly and understand their real needs. What’s more she has personal experience of homesharing as her 85-year-old grandfather was successfully matched with a 19-year-old Sharer, a match that lasted almost six years. Sarah, who is married and has three young adult children, says: “The thought of older people living alone, feeling isolated and anxious, makes me so sad especially when I know it doesn’t have to be this way. This is why facilitating successful homeshare matches and easing the feeling of loneliness for older people by connecting them with caring young people caught by the current accommodation crisis is so important to me. I love seeing the many benefits that come from homesharing to all those involved – the elderly homeowners, the younger sharers and definitely their relatives too”.
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 the summer of 2016 she was introduced to the concept of homesharing and decided it was the ideal solution for her mother who 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 found a lovely lady who now shares with her mother, Carol wanted to spread the word and encourage others to do the same. “Not only are the benefits huge for the homeowner but it is a way of helping people like students and care workers who need somewhere to live but can’t afford it. 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
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.
