Hapipod gives active older homeowners the opportunity to rent out their spare room to young people happy to offer some of their time to help out in exchange for low-cost accommodation.
The clever algorithms compare shared interests, backgrounds and personalities to bring like-minded people together.
Why we need Hapipod right now
With loneliness and the housing crisis both reaching critical levels this unique online meeting space will offer many people access to a contemporary, mutually beneficial living solution.
Lockdown took a heavy toll on people living alone. For those who would normally have an active social life, long periods of isolation amplified the silence and its pitfalls. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that over 3.7 million adults are now suffering loneliness.
Meanwhile, the increasingly acute housing crisis has left 3.4 million 20-34-year-olds facing market rents so unaffordable that they cannot escape their childhood bedrooms. It can take away young people’s independence at a critical point in their lives and confine their job search to their own locality in an already strained employment market.
Age divides are blurring – intergenerational living
I first thought about creating Hapipod after seeing how many of my friends’ youthful, active parents were curtailed by loneliness after divorce or losing a partner. Yet rightly they did not want to give up on their comfortable homes and were decades away from needing a carer.
With the pandemic exacerbating both loneliness and the housing crisis, I thought there had to be a way to help, so I looked into the benefits of intergenerational living.
With healthier ageing, classic age divides are blurring.
With healthier ageing, classic age divides are blurring. You can have children at 50 like new mother Naomi Campbell, or become a grandparent as Sir Mick Jagger did at the same age.
And today there are numerous sites for the over 60s to indulge in extreme sports from sky diving to mountain biking that would outshine many 20 somethings.
There are of course both physical and mental health advantages to staying active and positive, and one US study shows optimism can increase your lifespan by up to 15%!
Meanwhile for younger people, mixing with older people can help them cope better with the idea of ageing and make them less prone to depression. I saw there could be many benefits to intergenerational homesharing, and similar schemes in the UK and Holland have proved very successful.
Compatibility is the key
Suzanne, in her mid 70s, lives alone with her grown children abroad. She is still very active but just need a little extra companionship.
“An empty house can be a little daunting especially in the winter with endless evenings. Normally I’m very busy socially, and travel abroad a lot to see my children, but it would be nice to know someone was around part of the time to help me do a little gardening, have the odd meal, and look after my pet and home while I’m away. It’s got to be a good match though – it’s the chemistry, you’ve got to click. I’d be looking for a female who shared my values, ideally a vegetarian, and having worked in NHS myself, I’d love to help out someone who works in the caring services.”
Suzanne is just one of an estimated 3.6 million over 65s in the UK with a spare room.
There is a huge potential opportunity here, but no way for the right people to meet. By creating Hapipod as a means to match homeshare companions by their personality and interests regardless of age, I hope to help provide a practical solution to two of the most significant societal issues.
How Hapipod works
Hapipod is a subscription-based online matching site and is founded on a robust ID and background check as a basic safeguarding measure, powered by our partner company Yoti, an internationally respected ID verification service. Through advanced search filters, the site helps people find compatible companions based on a range of personality and background filters. Thus, homeowners who want a fitness or chess partner, someone of a particular faith or profession, for example, can look for that, and younger homemates can do the same whilst also seeking a location near to a workplace or college which may otherwise have been unaffordable.
The homeshare contracts are mutually beneficial rather than profit-making for the parties involved. Once homesharers connect, the parties agree a low monthly fee, (between £250-350) to cover a homeowner’s increased bills and outgoings, and for Homemates to give up 10 hours a week to agreed activities.
This can be anything from practical help with IT, DIY, shopping, gardening, to pet sitting if they travel, and the presence of a homemate can provide a greater sense of security overnight. In monetary terms alone, it saves a homeowner roughly £400 per month based on average wages. Likewise, Homemates gain independence and a comfortable room, whilst potentially saving up to £700 per month on market rents in some areas.
Lifestyle choice similar to Au Pairing
Homeowners don’t necessarily have to share all their space either, as long as their spare room is big enough, they can keep the living room private. Both sides, therefore, gain rather than having to give anything up, and with contracts of 6 months or 1 year, users can keep refreshing their choices. It is similar to Au Pairs living with families, just for a different life stage, and my hope is that it will become as natural a contemporary living choice as Au Pairing has become.
Maximising the quality of your home lif
Hapipod is absolutely not about social care for the elderly. Rather it is about capitalising on healthier ageing and diminishing age gaps to create companionships based on similar backgrounds and mutual interests. The aim is to help keep mid-lifers younger for longer, and give younger people a degree of independence. It will be ideal for students, graduates and key workers, but also older people facing difficult circumstances such as ending relationships, and not having an immediate alternative home.
One such example is Maggie, originally from Greece who was recently divorced in her early 40s. In the middle of a post-graduate degree course, she says that this unusual living arrangement could throw her a real lifeline.
“I didn’t expect to find myself in this situation, suddenly on my own again after a 13 year marriage. I just need to be able to finish my course and get back on my feet.
“But the cost of renting in London is so high I can’t afford to live on my own just now, or even in an expensive flat share with strangers, anywhere near my college.
“I would be happy to spend some time with someone and help out with shopping and other things if it means I can live comfortably, where I need to be.
‘I think the site is an excellent idea to connect people in this living arrangement. I hope to find someone and somewhere that suits me.”
Launch details
The first 200 Hapipod Homemates who register looking for accommodation during the pilot period and pass the £20 ID and Background check will receive a free one-month subscription.
After that, rates will start at £45 for one month. Subscriptions provide full access to the site, allowing users to search for homesharers with advanced search filters and make direct contact, guided by comprehensive safeguarding recommendations.
Note: Hapipod does not broker any financial arrangements or take a commission on any contracts established. It just provides the online meeting and matching space, and my mission as the founder is simply to make home life happier for as many people as possible, helping challenge the issues of loneliness and restricted income.
Credit: Source link