New scheme unveiled in the province to help young people find accommodation in Malaga

Malaga's provincial authority has unveiled a new scheme for young people and the elderly to live together to help combat two problems; the city's rental crisis and unwanted loneliness.

The pilot project will involve the city hall, University of Malaga (UMA) and Hagamos Hogar, an online platform which aims to promote intergenerational living. Hagamos Hogar will bring together young people living in small towns in Malaga province who are on the lookout for a rental in Malaga city with people over 55 years of age who live alone, have a spare room and are willing to rent it out. In Malaga city there are more than 25,000 elderly people living in single-person households, with that figure expected to skyrocket.

Councillors Antonia Ledesma and Francisco Cantos, and two of the founders of Hagamos Hogar, Natalia Cerón and Ricardo Pagán presented the scheme on Tuesday morning (26 December).

Advantages

Ledesma said: "Many of these people who live alone are weighed down by unwanted loneliness, a sense of isolation, and this can influence the development of mental health problems, symptoms of depression, heart disease and blood pressure problems".

"With this initiative we aim to encourage their social participation and promote active ageing, improving their quality of life. We also want to make it easier for young people to find affordable accommodation and to have the same opportunities as young people who live in big cities or who have more economic resources," she added.

The Hagamos Hogar initiative has received several awards, such as the first prize as a Spin Off project from the UMA in 2021 and the first prize for entrepreneurship from the Provincial Council in 2022. Cerón said: "We look for profiles that are compatible and we monitor the coexistence; in this way, we foster intergenerational solidarity in which both participants win, improving their quality of life and economic resilience".