The charity is asking people to turn their spare rooms into temporary homes for people experiencing homelessness.
At Home in Guernsey has launched a supported lodgings scheme, encouraging residents to offer their spare rooms as temporary homes for people at risk, or experiencing, homelessness.
Inspired by the UK’s Housing Justice project, the initiative allows households to provide safe, stable and supportive accommodation and receive rent from lodgers with up to £10,000 tax free.
‘Although we can provide emotional and practical support, we realised early on that we wanted to be part of the solution in terms of finding that physical home as well,’ Charlie Cox, CEO of At Home in Guernsey, told Guernsey Press.
‘Being in somebody’s home provide a lot more dignity and respect and gives people that chance to move forward and see a brighter future, rather than being in a B&B, sofa-surfing or lots of other situations we know people are currently in.
‘We’re really excited and think it’s perfect for Guernsey. There are lots of people with extra spare rooms and we know with the cost of living increase that actually a bit of extra rental income will be really welcomed by lots of local households. We’ve already had about four or five people show interest.’
As part of the programme, the charity will match landlords and lodgers using virtual and in-person meetings before finalising agreements. Cox added that lodgers will be low risk, describing them as people who have recently faced difficult circumstances.
Training sessions for the scheme will begin in January 2026, with the first group of tenants moving in their new homes soon after.
On 13th December the charity are set to host an information event at La Villiaze Specsavers in Guernsey from 10:30 GMT to 11:30. The charity have also said landlords looking to take part in the project will receive training and support from its dedicated team.
News of the project comes after At Home in Guernsey revealed in June, there were 1,000 people who were ‘insecurely housed’, at risk of losing their home or experiencing homelessness in the island.
Alongside offering the support lodgings scheme, the charity have created a form on their website for people at risk of homelessness to share details of their experiences to help deepen understanding of the issue. More information about how to access the form can be found here.
Image: Julie Clarke/UnSplash
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