Invercargill town cryer Lynley McKerrow and her husband, Terry, are exploring ways to balance income and outgoings.
They like the idea of communal living as a potential answer to rising rents and are keen to discover whether others might also be interested in that option.
Mrs McKerrow has supplementary income as a funeral and wedding celebrant and admits if it wasn’t for that, “we would never manage”.
She believed sharing rent and other housing expenses might provide a workable answer.
Age Concern Southland manager Janette Turner said a lack of affordable senior housing in the region was causing seniors to explore alternative solutions.
“They’re finding it too hard to survive on their own — even couples on one income.’’
“Once you get two or three together, then they can combine their income together to meet the higher rental prices.’’
While Age Concern was helping three men co-sharing a home, the solution was “not common enough’’.
Senior house sharing worked well when it was well managed as long as good foundations were established at the outset like compatibility checks, adequate private spaces and shared areas.
Getting the right balance was important to success.
“It’s a matter of getting the right connections, having the right meetings, seeing if you could live with that person, and making sure you’ve got enough private space of your own,” Mrs Turner said.
Performing background checks would be mandatory to prevent vulnerable people being exposed to fraud, abuse or an unsafe arrangement.
“You don’t want to fail ... background checks would be a huge part.”
House sharing was known to reduce loneliness, improve mental health and supported wellbeing, she said.
Having the wider family involved from the outset was crucial, she said.
Seniors needed to strike a balance while remaining independent in their own homes as it could quickly shift to isolation.
“As you age and you lose your eyesight and you can’t drive, your own home becomes your prison.
“It becomes empty walls when you’re fiercely determined to stay there, but you’re actually missing out on life.”
Rent South property management business owner Leeann Tautari said while senior housing was still an exception rather than a trend, she acknowledged the rental market had limited affordable rentals for the senior community.
However, some limited rent-per-room/boarding house options were available.
The rental market charged about $320 per week for a one-bedroom unit — forcing some seniors to rely on an accommodation supplement, savings or pooling their income as couples.
Rent-per-room options offered cheaper weekly rental of about $300 for a private bedroom with a shared kitchen/bathroom.
Inflated rentals listed on the market were also distorting rent prices. But often the overpriced homes would remain un-let for longer, only to be rented by those in desperate situations — creating more financial stress because the prices were often unsustainable.
This week Trade Me had 117 rental properties in Invercargill listed from $120-$900 a week. But renters could expect to pay between $540-$620 a week for a typical three-bedroom, Ms Tautari said.
Invercargill City Council, with 52 people on its waiting list, manages 222 senior housing units across 21 complexes in Invercargill and Bluff.
Tenants pay a means-tested rent for one-bedroom and studio units from $153-$221 per week. But council has proposed to increase its maximum 2026-27 weekly rents to $232.
With 80 on its waiting list, Southland District Council has 69 units throughout the district. Rents range from $155 to $185.
In the past 12 months, Kainga Ora’s social housing pool had reduced from 461 homes to 451 while 207 individuals and families remained on its waiting list.
Mrs Turner said there had already been a strong community interest in Age Concern’s upcoming pre-retirement seminars to help with financial planning, KiwiSaver decision making and downsizing options.
Ideally, attracting investors to the city who would be prepared to build purpose-built community housing could be an ideal solution.
“We need to have some bigger investors looking at affordable housing.’’
- Toni McDonald
