Increasingly,
several generations of Australian families are living together under
the same roof. Social demographer Mark McCrindle says there are several
reasons for the lifestyle choice.
“Younger generations are either leaving home later or returning back to the parental home,” he says.
“Then on the parents’ side, they’re living longer and sometimes the
older parents are moving in with the middle-aged children, creating the
three or, in some cases, four generations under the one roof.”
The practice of generations Y and Z living with the family for longer
periods due to affordability constraints now includes Baby Boomers, who
are sharing their household expenses with their adult children to not
only save money, but to maintain their lifestyle.
McCrindle says fewer than 10% of Australians now move out of their home into retirement homes.
Having several generations sharing the running costs of the home creates
a win-win situation because each party is paying less than they would
if they were running their own rental, he says.
Terry Ryder
