Episode Details

Multi-Generational Living Is Back (Whether You Planned for It or Not) | Episode 579

Opening

Housing is broken. Rent is insane. Mortgages are brutal. And because of that, something old is becoming new again: multi-generational living. In this episode, I talk through why more families are stacking back up under one roof, why this isn’t some fringe prepper idea, and how it’s quietly becoming one of the most practical adaptations people are making right now.

This isn’t nostalgia or ideology. It’s math, pressure, and reality.

What Multi-Generational Living Actually Means

This is as simple as it sounds. Adult kids staying longer. Kids moving back in. Parents, in-laws, or other relatives sharing space and expenses. Sometimes it’s planned. Sometimes it just… happens.

Historically, this was normal. Multiple generations under one roof wasn’t some failure state — it was how families functioned. The idea that everyone automatically launches into their own house at 18 is relatively new, and frankly, it’s becoming unrealistic again.

Housing Costs Are Forcing the Issue

Home prices are still wildly inflated. Insurance is climbing. Property taxes keep creeping up. Rent has gone from “painful” to “are you kidding me?”

I talk about apartments I used to rent for a few hundred bucks that now don’t exist at that price point anywhere. For a lot of people, there are only a few levers left to pull: make more money, stack incomes, or share housing. Multi-generational setups hit all three at once.

Income, Side Hustles, and Stacking Resources

One thing that keeps coming up is the need for multiple income streams. Not because it’s trendy — because it’s necessary. Side hustles, online work, creative projects, whatever actually brings money in.

When people live together, that pressure can ease a bit. Shared bills. Shared labor. Shared childcare. It doesn’t fix everything, but it makes the math less brutal. Families that coordinate instead of isolating tend to weather this stuff better.

Adult Kids, Delayed Launches, and Reality

A lot of young adults aren’t leaving home — or they’re coming back. That’s not automatically a failure. In many cases, it’s a smarter move than burning money on rent while trying to get established.