How to make it in the big city with housing alternatives

The rocketing cost of rent has led the National Union of Students to argue that there’s a student housing crisis in Britain, and this is felt nowhere more acutely than in London. UCL’s website claims that prospective students can be expected to spend an eye-watering average of £206 a week on rent. So what kind of housing alternatives do you have if you’re desperate to study or start working in London but simply can’t afford it?

Homeshare schemes facilitate an arrangement between two people: someone who needs help with living independently, such as an elderly person (the ‘householder’), and someone willing to provide 10 hours of help a week with tasks…

One way students are cutting their costs is through ‘homesharing’. Homeshare schemes facilitate an arrangement between two people: someone who needs help with living independently, such as an elderly person (the ‘householder’), and someone willing to provide 10 hours of help a week with tasks such as gardening, cleaning, and grocery shopping in exchange for free rent (the ‘homesharer’). As you might expect, homesharing isn’t entirely free; homesharers must pay a monthly fee to the scheme, and may also be expected to contribute towards household bills.

Maya, 22, who will be studying English at Goldsmiths, University of London next year, agrees: “I would absolutely consider this. Students and the elderly are two of the most disenfranchised groups of people in the country today, and have a lot to learn from each other. This strikes me as an opportunity for mutual connection, providence, and the much-needed bridging of gaps across mental, physical, and social divides – as well as a way to make it cheaply and safely through university.”

One of the main reasons Homeshare is used by elderly people is that they need the security of having someone in their home during the night…

However, it’s certainly not an option suited to everyone. One of the main reasons Homeshare is used by elderly people is that they need the security of having someone in their home during the night. Homesharers are required to sleep there six out of seven nights a week.

The Homeshare international website also states that ‘Homesharers generally have to be 23+ years old and the average age is 27’, meaning that for many undergraduates, Homeshare won’t be an option.

Co-living’ has been proposed as a way for young professionals and recent graduates to save on housing costs.

It looks rather like a upmarket student halls of residence, giving you your own small room and access to shared facilities, such as a ‘disco laundrette’, sauna, and cinema…

North West London’s Collective Old Oak is the world’s largest co-living building housing 546 people. It looks rather like a upmarket student halls of residence, giving you your own small room and access to shared facilities, such as a ‘disco laundrette’, sauna, and cinema. The cleaners even change your linen.

While this may sound like more fun than homesharing, it may be too expensive for students. The cheapest rooms cost £178 and ensuite rooms cost £250 a week without including bills. Co-living in places like the Old Oak hardly seems like a good alternative for graduates who don’t want to miss out on the career opportunities London has to offer without the budget strain.

Homesharing and co-living each have their own sets of pros and cons. While some people might find them to be valuable alternatives to more conventional student living arrangements, they’re not a solution to the housing crisis. Ultimately, serious policy changes will be needed in order for London to become a more affordable place for all students.