IF you are looking for somewhere to live and can help out an older or disabled person in return for rent-free accommodation, Oxfordshire County Council wants to hear from you.
The council is piloting a national Homeshare scheme that matches older and disabled people who need companionship or help with basic tasks, such as gardening or shopping, with people looking for a place to live.
The council is working in conjunction with NAAPS, the National Association of Adult Placement Services.
Who is Homeshare aimed at?
The Homeshare scheme is aimed particularly at students and key workers, such as nurses and police officers, but applications from anyone who has a genuine interest in Homeshare will be warmly welcomed.
Everyone will need to be police-checked before they can move in, and householders and people looking to move in will be carefully matched by the council?s Homeshare Co-ordinator.
How long will the scheme last?
The pilot, which is being funded by the Department of Health, will run until December 2008 and the scheme may be extended after that.
Oxfordshire county councillor Jim Couchman, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: ?This is an excellent scheme, that will enable householders to stay in their own homes rather than go into a care home, while helping to solve the housing shortage problem many people on lower incomes face in this very expensive county.?
To find out more about Homeshare, please contact Victoria Harwood on tel 07889 002 526; email Victoria.harwood@oxfordshire.gov.uk
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