Wanted: older homeowners for TV experiment

CALLING all older homeowners with spare rooms.

A new TV show is looking to create a social experiment which could prove to be an answer to the housing crisis for young people and reduce loneliness among over-65s living alone.

The ambitious Virgin Media show is looking for people to team up and house-share, to investigate if two generations can hit it off. The show, yet to be titled, follows on from a trend in countries such as Finland, Norway and Britain, where younger people have moved in with older residents for cheap rent in return for helping out with daily chores. Companies such as Homeshare in Ireland are matching up older homeowners with young tenants.

Miriam Smyth, casting producer, said it was a good time to “test-drive intergenerational house shares”. “For some older people, they might like having someone in the house for companionship, peace of mind, to know someone is there at night,” she told the Irish Independent.

“A student might want to live near college but may not be able to find anywhere affordable, so this could be a really good option for them. There’s probably around 100 households in Dublin living like this right now. Usually with a homeshare, the younger person will commit to helping around the house, giving lifts etc. This is a TV experiment for two weeks to see how two generations live together.”

Kite Entertainment, which is behind ‘Gogglebox Ireland’ and ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’, is casting now, looking for older homeowners to offer digs rent free. The young renter must commit to helping out. Contact casting@kiteentertainment.com.