Multi-generational living surges in the pandemic

Number of Americans living in households with three or more generations nearly quadruples, study finds.

The economic hardship created by the pandemic is fueling a dramatic rise in multi-generational living arrangements, according to a new survey by Generations United, a non-profit organization that focuses on intergenerational collaboration and public policy

More than one in four Americans are living in a household with three or more generations, the survey found - nearly quadrupling the percentage found in a similar survey a decade ago.

Two-thirds of people living in a multi-generational arrangement cited the economic climate as a factor in their family becoming a multi-generational household. But there were plenty of other reasons:

And overall, it's been a positive experience. A large majority of survey respondents report that multigeneral living has enhanced their family relationships, made it easier to provide care, improved their financial situation or had a positive impact on mental and/or physical health.

Multi-generational living isn’t new, of course - this is the way many families have lived for years here in the U.S. and abroad. “Our country was founded and built by multi-generational households,” noted Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, during a webinar convened to launch the study. “We're not advocating to go back to the way things were, but to go forward to the way that things can be and make it easier for multi-generational families to live and thrive together. They are in fact here to stay.”

The report advocates a number of public policy shifts that could accommodate these arrangements, including:

• Increasing multi-generational housing stock and affordability.

• Promoting multi-generational living as an environmentally friendly housing option.

• Expand access to affordable, high-quality child and adult daycare.

• Expand paid family leave and flexible work environments.

The webinar featured comments by an expert on caregiving, a researcher on real estate trends, a contractor who specializes in rehabs to accommodate multi-generational living arrangements and a grandmother living in an intergenerational household. You can give it a listen below or by clicking this link.

Subscribe to the newsletter

You’re subscribed to occasional, short posts sent to my free list. Sign up for the paid edition to receive my weekly in-depth report, plus online access to my series of retirement guides.