Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is trying to give its students housing options through a new partnership with a home-sharing platform.

SpacesShared matches students looking for safe and affordable accommodations with older adults who have spare rooms to rent. This partnership will create new housing options for KPU students close to all five campuses 鈥� 91原创, Cloverdale, Surrey, and Richmond 鈥� to address affordable housing challenges within the Lower Mainland.

For hosts, this is an opportunity to earn an extra income with the additional option of students providing assistance around the house in exchange for rental discounts. Home-sharing can also be a source of companionship and community connection.

鈥淜PU鈥檚 partnership with SpacesShared will provide our students with greater options for safe and reliable housing near our campuses,鈥� said Zena Mitchell, vice president of students. 鈥淔inding affordable student housing can prove challenging and stressful, so we鈥檙e pleased this partnership offers an innovative solution that can be beneficial to both our students and their wider communities.鈥�

Students and hosts are vetted by the platform through identity verification and criminal background checks.

Within the online platform, students can search for available rooms, view potential matches for compatibility and connect with potential hosts before entering an agreement. SpacesShared is already operating in several provinces across Canada and is now being introduced in B.C.

鈥淲e are excited to expand our community building platform that builds connections across generations to British Columbia,鈥� said Rylan Kinnon, SpacesShared CEO. 鈥淲ith this launch, coming about a year after our launch in Newfoundland and Labrador, we will be supporting Canadian hosts, students and international students from coast to coast.鈥�

Students and hosts interested in signing up for the platform can visit KPU's Housing Resources page or the SpacesShared website for more information.

Around 20,000 students annually choose one of KPU's programs that include bachelor鈥檚 degrees, diplomas, certificates, apprenticeships and graduate diplomas. Learn more at kpu.ca. SpacesShared launched in 2023. More information is at www.spacesshared.ca.