Generation game: London homesharers ‘still going strong’ at 84 and 42 years old

Flo and Luciana joined a group of litter pickers in their local park during lockdown

(Picture: Share and Care Homeshare)

Flo Taylor and Luciana Canu are not typical London housemates. At 84, Flo is exactly double Luciana’s age. And they grew up in different parts of the world: Flo in the UK and Luciana in Italy.

Luciana moved into Flo’s home of 50 years in Wandsworth in March 2020 — a month before lockdown hit. After Flo’s husband died, she was diagnosed with mild dementia. Her family began to look for means of supporting her, and her daughter Katie came across homesharing, an arrangement which matches housemates together, often from different generations.