Nipissing University partners with platform that helps students and seniors share housing

Students at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ont. now have a new option to share housing with seniors in the community.

An online platform called SpacesShared has partnered with the university to offer a new way for older adults to rent out rooms in their homes and for students to find those listings.

SpacesShared CEO and co-founder Rylan Kinnon, said the company has already partnered with multiple colleges and universities across Canada to offer students long-term living accommodations, of a month or more, with older adults.

Kinnon said both parties benefit from the arrangements.

"For the older adult, they get help around the house if they're looking for it. They get companionship and they get extra income," he said.

"The student gets a safe, affordable bedroom and they also get the opportunity, especially if they're new to the community or if they're an international student, their host can be a bit of a community guide for them."

To make the process more easy and safe, Kinnon said his team does criminal background checks when people sign up with the platform, and also has social workers on staff who follow up with the student and host to make sure the match has worked out.

Kinnon said there are an estimated five million empty bedrooms in Ontario. 

"If we could get a twentieth of those empty bedrooms, you're talking about a million bedrooms, which is about the number of international students in Canada," he said.

Nipissing University president and vice-chancellor Kevin Wamsley said that like most communities in Canada, North Bay has faced a housing crisis in recent years.

Wamsley said about 29 per cent of its student body lives on campus, but that still leaves a "significant number off campus."

He added 52 per cent of North Bay residents are retired, which made SpacesShared a perfect option to explore.

"Because of the pandemic, some folks were a little hesitant about opening up their homes again and this really helps ease them back into those waters," Wamsley said.

He said the university has long built relationships with older adults in the community to open up their homes to students, but using a platform like SpacesShared makes it easier and more convenient.

Other student housing solutions

Northern College, based in Timmins, Ont. has taken a different approach to increase housing options for its students.

The college purchased a former medical clinic in Kirkland Lake, to create student housing units for its campus in the northern Ontario town.

Susan Hunter, Northern College's chief cultural officer, said the 6,000-square-foot building is being renovated to house 13 rental units for students.

Those units are expected to open in 2025, she said.

Hunter said Northern College is also looking at similar arrangements to the one Nipisisng University has with Spaces Shared.

"It's a very progressive way of looking at housing. We're all in community together and these are win-win solutions," she said.