Let’s encourage intergenerational housing and rehabbing existing buildings for housing in addition to building to meet housing needs

It’s a common refrain. “I can’t wait for my kids to get out of the house” and “I don’t want my adult kids to move back in.”

In Spain, where my daughter and her family lives, it’s typical for kids to live with their parents until age 30.

Michelle Singletary, financial columnist for The Washington Post, recently wrote, and has said often, that intergenerational housing needs to be emphasized more. Two of her adult daughters live with her. In their twenties, they can’t afford to buy a home, but they’re thinking about buying a home together. That’s great.

No need to build two homes for two twenty year olds.

Which brings me to my point. Everyone – governors, mayors, presidential candidates, homeless advocates – are talking about how many new homes and apartments that need to be built.

Into that conversation, we need to encourage intergenerational housing and rehabilitating existing buildings for housing.

Why continue to spread the suburbs out into farm and forest lands?

It always amazes me when I go to Europe that they build dense cities and keep rural lands for agriculture and open spaces.

Let’s do better. Let’s move forward with these additional ways to increase our housing stock in America.