By Andy Warren | East Valley Tribune
Once a staple of pre-World War II culture, the multi-generational household is staging a comeback.
The trend, which has young adults boomeranging back into their parents’ houses and aging parents moving in with their grown children and grandchildren, not only is changing the way people live, it’s also impacting the way homebuilders build.
House layouts designed for multiple generations co-existing under one roof place a heightened priority on more private areas for independent living. Some designs offer two master suites, while others feature a den or a family room that can be converted into a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor. Still others include additional flex spaces to accommodate a wide variety of situations.
According to Pew Research survey findings, multi-generational living has been on the rise since the Great Recession, when census data shows such households rose by 2.6 million people between 2007 and 2008. As of 2008, a record 49 million Americans, or 16.1 percent of the U.S. population, were part of a living situation containing at least two adult generations or a grandparent and at least one other generation, Pew Research Center reports.
