During the economic downturn many homeowners lost their homes, many students that just graduated or are still in school, and many elderly parents are having to move in with a family member. A lot of people just cant afford to live by themselves with the economy still struggling and the current uncertainty in the job market.
People want to live together, just in their separate space, but many suburban communities across the U.S. have made it nearly impossible and very difficult in the least to convert unused space in rental apartments. Homeowners are now trying to make changes to housing laws in their communities so they convert their basements, garages and other underused parts of their homes into rental apartments.
According to the Pew Research Center, one in five college graduates between the ages of 25 to 34 lives with their parents. Along with that data, the Census Bureau reported that the number of shared households across the U.S. grew by 11.4% from 2007 to 2010. That was 19.7 million to 22 million, while the number of households grew only 1.3% during that same period.
Because people are returning home more often builders are starting to respond to the new American Family. Lennar Corp., as early as last year, started to introduce their “Next Gen” model, which is a home built with a completely separate unit. This separate unit has its own entry, bathroom, kitchen and living area.
Builders are trying to accommodate the new extended family. Now communities are trying harder and harder to get zoning laws changed so they can repurpose the underused space in their homes.