INTERGENERATIONAL HOMESHARE

NYU PILOT PROGRAM
New York, New York
2016–

New York University with the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens

Piggybacking Tactic
Share a Resource to Multiply Use

INTERGENERATIONAL HOMESHARING PROGRAMS are an example of resource sharing and use multiplication in the nonprofit sector. New York University, for example, has begun exploring the potential for intergenerational homeshares to help reduce its students’ housing costs. Partnering with the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens, NYU started a pilot program that pairs graduate students with seniors who have a spare room and a desire for company. Students placed through the program make a “contribution to household expenses” in lieu of rent and may also contribute to household errands. Early estimates suggest that by sharing space with seniors, students may cut their housing costs by as much as a half. Similar schemes are being explored in Chicago and Berkeley, and by the City of Boston’s Housing Innovation Lab and the homesharing apps Nesterly and Silvernest.