Sharing your home (homeshare)

Homesharing or co-residency matches people who need practical help to live at home with people who need or can offer accommodation. This is an option for people with disability or older people who need help with everyday activities, companionship, regular monitoring or the security of having another person in the house.

For example, a person with disability can share their home with a person who stays in the house at night and helps with some household jobs. The person without disability may provide this help in return for free or reduced rent.

How does it work?

The person with disability can:

  • live in their own home and a person/s without disability moves in with them
  • live in the home of a person/s without disability
  • share a rental home with the person/s without disability under a dual tenancy arrangement
  • organise other shared living arrangements that suit everyone involved.

Benefits

The benefits of sharing your home include:

  • the person with disability is able to live more independently
  • the person with disability can save money
  • the home sharer can save money
  • new family and friendship networks can be created.

Who can be a home sharer?

  • Couples with or without children
  • Single adults
  • Several unrelated adults

Is homesharing for you?

If you are interested in exploring homesharing as an option, talk with your service provider and/or your planning group.

More information

  • Queensland homesharing experiences
  • Homeshare Australia and New Zealand Alliance
  • Benambra Intentional Community Cooperative—Ben, Daniel and Jackson’s story about living in the intentional community with their co-residents and housemates.
  • Tom - Living a Good Life Tom moves from his family home to live in his own home with housemates.
  • Adam Moves Out Adam who is 25 moves out of home for the first time and shares his story.
  • Johnathon—Jonathan lives in his own home with a co-resident who provides him with support.
  • Myplace—a Western Australia not-for-profit provider supporting people with disability to live in their own homes, or remain in their family home. The website includes information about home sharing and the experiences of 4 people from Western Australia.
  • Karlene’s story—Karlene outlines her previous living arrangements and why her current living arrangements suit her so well.
  • Ben’s story—Ben outlines his achievements, challenges and advice.
  • lifeAssist—Victorian based information about how home sharing can work.
  • Community Living British Columbia—information, personal stories and videos about a range of home sharing options for people with disability in Canada.
  • Shared Lives Plus—a UK network for shared lives and homesharing.
  • Movin' Out—information and personal stories about accessing affordable housing for people disabilities and their families living in Wisconsin USA.