Is 'inter-generational home sharing' the solution to the loneliness epidemic and housing crisis?

Island businessman says he has found the answer

An Isle of Man businessman says he has found the 'solution' to what he calls the loneliness epidemic and housing crisis. 

Jamie Stott, formally of Island Escapes is the founder of PorchLight and says the current set up is 'not fit for purpose'. 

The company offers services for lodging, mid-term letting, and an 'inter-generational home share scheme', which pairs elderly residents who have a spare room with a younger person needing affordable accommodation. 

Jamie says it's a partnership that suits 'everyone involved':

Prior to co-habitation, PorchLight says DBS and ID checks, along with references and interviews will be carried out. 

Jamie also states the sharer has no responsibility to look after the homeowner in case of deteriorating health:

The company is still in its very early stages, with Jamie having only been working on it over the past six months.

He explains how he hopes the business can grow:

Housing crisis?

In a report from 2024, the Youth Select Committee identified that young people aged 16-24 find it difficult to become homeowners, find affordable and quality accommodation and find a lack of suitable housing for returning students.

2018 saw a mid-rent pilot scheme set up in Colby in a bid to give more people affordable housing options, however, after five years it was paused. 

Forty-nine applications were received and feedback from those applicants was that they were unable to save for a deposit and that location for people working in Douglas meant costs were still high.

Meanwhile, the Objective Assessment of Housing Need (OAHN) report 2024 states private renters here have increased from 15 to 20 percent in the past two decades with a reduction in people living in the homes they own by four percent.

It also says the average house price is said to have remained steady at around £250,000 from 2010 to 2019, but then climbed to £350,000 in December 2022.

The latest figures from website propertyprices.im puts the average sale price for March 2026 on the Isle of Man at £367,434.

Elsewhere, the Department of Infrastructure and the Housing Agency are reviewing the Public Sector Housing Policy 2019 which looks to changes to income thresholds and other elements of public sector housing allocation.