The number of multi-generational households in the UK, the USA and in other developed countries has been increasing and this living arrangement has become a growing trend globally. According to The Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research, 1.8 million households in the UK have two or more related adult generations living under the same roof – an increase of 38% since 2009. In the USA, the number of multigenerational households reached an all-time high, 20% of the U.S. population, at the time of the most recent census data in 2016.
Polarising wage earnings, a housing market where stock isn’t meeting demand and older generations are living longer, are all contributing to this development. Younger people are finding it difficult to afford a place of their own and older adults can’t afford the costs of care and retirement housing. Consequently, 20% of 25 – 34 year olds live with their parents now, compared with 16% in 1991, and 21% of those 65 and older are living with their adult children and grandchildren – a proportion predicted to increase.
A study by Age Concern found that a third of older adults in the UK would like to move from their present home. The general assumption has been that upon reaching a certain stage in life, many people want to downsize because they find their home too large or difficult to maintain. But what would their ideal living arrangements be? In some cities there have been reports of the trend of ‘active retirees’ who choose to downsize from large suburban homes to city apartments to be close to amenities, culture and transport.
Most new homes are built to a traditional family layout, and usually not in urban areas. There is an estimated demand for 125,000 additional multi-generational homes per year, but housebuilding isn’t meeting either the desired volume or the quality. Clearly there is an opportunity to create flexible designs which offer self-contained areas for privacy alongside communal space, which can work for a range of household configurations.
Avoiding the segregation of cities by age and creating cross-generation communities can counter problems of isolation, the decline of the high street and crime. Studies show that older people enjoy better health and less loneliness with multigenerational living. There is the potential for different generations to cater to each other’s needs and to complement one another in a balanced community. Generation X, Baby Boomers and Silver Surfers, for instance, have the greater savings and property assets as well as knowledge to share. The younger generations, with their dynamism, flexibility and innovation could create services. The arrangements would boost employment, local shops and restaurants and keep venues active during off-peak hours.
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