Would you allow students or young workers to live in your home in exchange for household assistance and additional income? A 'Homeshare' model where young people receive free or subsidised rent while helping older Australians who want to remain in their family home has been put to the NSW state government as an option to address the state's chronic shortage of housing, particularly in Sydney.

Youth Action, the state’s peak youth affairs body, has just released a detailed policy paper outlining how the model could work to match older Australians or people with a disability who require some assistance to live independently in their own homes with people seeking affordable housing. It recommends that the NSW government pilot the program and fund a not-for-profit organisation to manage the process. It also recommends specific legislation for ‘lodger’s agreements’ that outline the rights of homeowners and young boarders.

“Surging property prices have made it increasingly hard for many young people to find affordable housing close to their places of work and education,” said Youth Action managing director Katie Acheson. “An ageing population has also seen a rise in the number of individuals or couples living in homes designed for a larger family, leaving much of our housing stock under-utilised. While these older Australians may be asset rich, many are unable to afford to pay for assistance around the house that would allow them to age comfortably in their own home.”

Acheson said a survey of young people conducted by Youth Action found 65 per cent of those still living in their family home felt they could not afford to move out, even if they wanted to, and more than half of respondents said they would consider a Homeshare arrangement with someone aged over 65, while 72 per cent said they would consider living with a person with a disability.

Similar programs have been successful in the UK, Europe, and the USA.