Home-sharing website for women gains traction

A women’s home share initiative is taking off in the region with more than 200 women registering in its first year.

HomeShare for Her is a non-profit trust aimed to address Nelson Tasman’s housing shortage and help women connect to share homes and living costs.

So far, over 200 women have registered and 12 women have been matched in its first year of operation.

The web platform is the first of its kind in the country offering a free home-sharing service to women aged 18 and over.

Co-founder and trustee, Chloe Howorth, says that with an aging population, the Top of the South has increasing numbers of older women living alone in larger homes, often in need of help and company.

“Housing demand for small dwellings far outweighs supply in the region. Rental homes are also hard to find and priced out of reach for many, but this is particularly challenging for women already in or heading towards retirement.”

The idea was born when Community Action Nelson, and women working with Habitat for Humanity and Nelson Women’s Centre, noticed a greater cohort of women needing affordable housing.

Coupled with this, was the observation that there are a large number of female homeowners living alone, struggling with maintaining a larger home, and wanting to stay in their own homes for as long as possible, but experiencing social isolation and loneliness.

Chloe says while HomeShare for Her is not an emergency housing provider for women in crisis, it hopes to reduce pressure on the public housing system by freeing up the housing supply whilst making the most of the resources in the region.

Since the website’s launch in November 2023, there has been a steady rise in registrations which were sitting at 200 in December 2024.

Sixty percent of these are home seekers with 26 home offers listed in the first 10 months. Six of these saw 12 women matched into home shares.

The site has also seen over 215 unique connections between individuals – homeowners and home seekers - discussing home-share options.

Chloe says with the greater proportion of those registered being home seekers, they are keen to hear from more women homeowners interested in sharing their homes with other women.

“The ages, interests, and accommodation style needs of women looking for homes to share vary greatly. Some women are working or studying and others are retired, and their interests range from gardening, crafts, and cooking to martial arts, tramping, and biking.

“The website enables women to put up profiles and home offers once registered and to connect through the private messaging system.”

The website is being piloted in the Top of the South before looking at expanding into wider Aotearoa.

“The response to our service is encouraging,” says Chloe, who adds that backing from early funders such as the DIA, Ministry for Women, and Tindall Foundation and support from funders such as the Rāta Foundation, Office for Seniors and Nelson City Council is helping to achieve this.