Win-Win, For Students Needing Housing And Elderly With Extra Room
I wish someone had thought of this -- or I had -- when I was attending NYU and living in awful and expensive places, like an 8x10 "apartment," sans kitchen, in a converted SRO hotel (flophouse).

I paid $900-some dollars to live in that shoe closet of a place, while my movie sound dude boyfriend paid $400-some for an eight-room pre-ward apartment on the Upper West Side.

At Yahoo/AP, Karen Matthews writes that NYU is starting a program next fall to help students save money on housing by putting them up in elderly people's spare bedrooms:

The program, to be operated in conjunction with the University Settlement social service organization, will start with 10 to 15 students bunking in senior citizens' spare bedrooms.

Neither the students nor their elder hosts have been selected yet, but the basics of the program are in place: Participating students will pay $5,000 a year, thousands of dollars less than the cheapest on-campus housing option.

Almost all of the money will go to their senior hosts, said Ellen Schall, a professor of health policy and management who chairs NYU's affordability steering committee. The initiative will be expanded if it's popular.

"This is a win-win for both the seniors and the young adults," said University Settlement CEO Eric Weingartner.

Living in an older person's spare room wouldn't be for everyone.

NYU history major Brendan Gutenschwager, 19, said the option doesn't appeal to him, but might attract serious-minded older students. He envisioned that might be students who think, "You know what? I just want to get through my classes and have a good place to study where I'm not surrounded by a bunch of loud college students."

As Barnard student Toni Airaksinen points out, some students end up homeless.

This NYU program helps both the elderly and the students -- and may be the source of a wonderful relationship.

The students will not be caregivers for their hosts, but may pitch in on small chores like changing a lightbulb or carrying laundry from one room to another.

"We're trying to identify buildings where the financial contribution from students will be meaningful to the seniors," Weingartner said. "The part that's more nuanced is the impact of having companionship for both the senior and the students."

In the Chicago version of this, students do about 20 hours a week of chores.

This helps older people "age in place," which is very important for their health and well-being, as I've learned from my wonderful younger sister, who works in this area. (She works to help the elderly feel valued -- which is the essence of dignity -- and to have a good quality of life at the end of their lives.)

via @freerangekids