Better Together Housing (BTH) is an innovative program, co-created by two leading charities on the Sunshine Coast in partnership with women in the community. Its primary purpose is to address the rising cost of living and the risk of social isolation facing single women over 55 years old living alone.
BTH is a platform for participants to find someone to share with, it does not provide housing but does link people together who are interested in sharing their home so that can reap the benefits of a shared housing situation.
We do this by inviting interested people to register to either share their home OR find someone to share a home with. If you are not sure, we also welcome you to be a part of the community and explore if sharing may be something for the future.
BTH believes there are many benefits to people sharing homes including:
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Companionship
Our goal is to promote social inclusion with a sense of belonging.
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Affordability:
Sharing living space reduces the cost of living so you can afford to enjoy other activities in your life.
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Peace of mind
Having someone to share your residence means another person to look out for you and your property.
You are in control of what happens with your membership and with your housing. We will not match you with another person. We believe that you can make those decisions yourself if you have the right information to start with.
With these key elements in mind, we have created a system that has a number of safeguards built in so you can make your decision with some confidence. These safeguards include:
• Undertaking reference and police checks on all participants
• Requiring those sharing their home to offer similar security of tenure to those of the private rental system.
• Providing members looking to share with a template to negotiate a ‘co-tenants agreement’ with each other. This agreement outlines all the elements of co-homing that may need to be negotiated between tenants to ensure a happy home.
• Peer support – women in the community support each other, learn from each others stories, experiences and challenges.
Sunshine Coast University
Better Together Housing is partnering with the Sunshine Coast University to undertake evaluative research about the program and the women who use it. We are very excited about the possibilities this brings to our members, our program and the experiences of older women in Queensland. We invite all our members to participate in the research through a number of ways, including surveys, focus groups and individual stories. This information will ensure:
All information provided to us will be deidentified so that you can feel secure in your privacy.
Coast2Bay Housing Group
Coast2Bay Housing are the specialists on the coast when it comes to affordable housing. We are an independent, not-for-profit company committed to providing affordable safe and appropriate homes to individuals throughout the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Moreton Bay, Redcliffe, and Gympie regions. We lead the way in developing community and affordable housing by working with our partners in government, the private sector, and the community to expand local housing options.
Why Are We Doing This?
To offer older women peace of mind, safety, and security when looking for a more affordable living situation. We seek to empower our participants by giving them the information they need to make informed decisions about their lifestyle. We are passionate about improving the quality of life for women over 55.
Who can Participate?
Better Together Housing is focused on single women over 55 years old who currently live alone but would benefit from sharing housing and living costs with another woman. It could be women offering their home to share or someone willing to move in with someone else, or individuals wanting to start a new shared tenancy.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of the land on which we live and work.