This research for the NHBC Foundation analysed the scale and nature of multi generational living in England and explored the opportunities that this presents to the house building sector.
Britain’s house builders have been urged to tap into the expanding market in multigenerational living by offering families new homes with greater flexibility. Research compiled by CCHPR for the NHBC Foundation shows that more than 1.8 million households in Britain contain two or more adult generations, yet most homes on the market continue to be built to a traditional family home layout, without consideration for the shift towards multigenerational living.
The NHBC Foundation report: Multigenerational living - an opportunity for UK house builders? outlines the factors behind the trend using statistical analysis as well as interviews with families and major building firms.
The report is available to download from the NHBC Foundation website.
The Increase in Multigenerational Households in the UK
The Increase in Multigenerational Households in the UK: The Motivations for and Experiences of Multigenerational Living by Gemma Burgess and Kathryn Muir has been published online in Housing, Theory and Society.
Multigenerational living is a household arrangement that has been little studied in the UK to date. With nearly 7% of UK households containing two or more adult generations, it can be seen as a shift towards living as a family collective. Drawing on our research findings, this paper by Gemma Burgess and Kathryn Muir discusses the diverse motivations for multigenerational living which often reflect multiple intersecting structural processes, and opens up a conversation about future research.
Burgess, G. and Muir, K. (2019) The Increase in Multigenerational Households in the UK: The Motivations for and Experiences of Multigenerational Living. Housing, Theory and Society, 37:3, 322-338. DOI: 10.1080/14036096.2019.1653360