From gaining a ‘second family’ to helping you settle into a new city, hosted accommodation is a great option for international students or those moving to Perth from regional or remote areas.
Karin, a first-year political science and international relations student currently lives with a host mother and four other international students (plus a dog, bird and chickens).
I decided to do homestay because I wasn’t able to obtain a spot in student accommodation due to the high demand. I was initially supposed to stay for a few months, but I liked it so much that I extended my stay for the semester,” she said.
Karin says her favourite thing about living with a homestay host is the people.
“I’ve became very close to the people I live with, and I already feel like they are my second family. My host mom is a wonderful person; she is extremely kind, loving and intelligent. I love listening to her stories and her cooking is superb. I feel truly lucky to be able to live here.”
---
Laura, who recently joined UWA’s Accommodation Concierge team, has been both a student and host so she knows how overwhelming it can be to arrive in a new country.
“I lived with a host family in Germany during an exchange program, and later, I moved to London to study English and stayed with another host family,” she said.
“Both of these experiences were life changing. The families not only welcomed me into their homes, but they provided the comfort and support I needed to feel at home in an unfamiliar country.”
It’s the connections made through hosted accommodation that Laura cherishes most.
“I still keep in touch with my host family from Germany, and I’ve even visited them years later. As a host myself, I’ve built bonds with the students who stayed with me, becoming someone they could rely on, talk to and trust.”
“But above all, what I value most from this experience is the chance to help someone through a vulnerable time in their life. It’s deeply rewarding knowing that you’ve made a difference, however small, in someone’s journey,” she said.
If you’re interested in UWA’s hosted accommodation option, learn more and apply via the Australian Homestay Network or visit our Accommodation Concierge website.
