Connecting Generations Through Housing: A Solution to Loneliness and Housing Affordability

This study aims to create a smartphone application that connects elderly homeowners with young renters seeking affordable housing, mitigating the complex issues of purposelessness and loneliness encountered by elderly individuals during retirement, old age, or empty nest syndrome. The platform also addresses the rising concern of affordable housing for young rental homeseekers (renters) in urban areas, and the financial difficulties that may arise for homeowners during old age and retirement. With India expected to witness a surge in its senior citizen population, projected to comprise 20% of the nation within the next decade, the emotional and practical difficulties linked to retirement, ageing, and empty nest syndrome become increasingly significant. The emptiness felt by retirees, resulting from the absence of a structured daily routine and workplace connections, is further compounded by the onset of old age and its accompanying health considerations. Empty nest syndrome amplifies these challenges as parents face isolation and a sense of emptiness following their children’s departure. The solution is an smartphone application named Silver Homes, which offers the elderly a renewed sense of purpose as they open their homes to young homeseekers. This App-based platform offers a range of features, including detailed user profiles with information on hobbies and preferences to facilitate meaningful connections, filtering and sorting options for harmonious living arrangements, and a direct chat feature for easy and private communication within the application.