Loyalist unveils housing program to match seniors and students

By Jordan Mills 

BELLEVILLE – With lack of housing a continuing issue for Loyalist students, the college is hoping a new program can not only alleviate the situation but also provide companionship for local seniors.

Home Share Loyalist, announced late last week, promotes intergenerational living between students of the college and older adults in the Belleville area.

Kim Bergeron, a Loyalist faculty member, healthy-aging researcher and a lead for the new project, said it has been in development over the past two years.

The goal is to address ageism, racism and housing issues in the community, Bergeron told QNet News in an interview Wednesday.

The program aims to match older adults who have an extra bedroom in their homes with students, especially those from out of the country, who need a place to live, she said.

The rent will vary depending on the shared arrangement and what amenities are provided, Bergeron said. Most of the time the rent will be lower than the average in the Quinte region, she said.

“Our program is about building relationships,” Bergeron said. The students will “provide seven hours per week of companionship for the older adults. That could be eating a meal together, taking out the garbage, or just spending quality time with each other.”

On Saturday, Home Share Loyalist opened an online portal for applications from both adults over age 55 with space to share and students who need a place to live. The students must have completed at least one semester at Loyalist.

It will take about two months for the program to match a student with a potential older adult, Bergeron said.

Bergeron, who has researched the effects of loneliness and isolation, says she’s noticed that older adults and international students share similar traits.

“When (students) come to a new country they may lack a sense of belonging, they may feel socially isolated and a sense of loneliness – as do some of our older adults. The research part of the program is that we’re studying social isolation: Can this program increase a sense of belonging?”