Multigenerational Homes - Here To Stay

Why Are Multigenerational Homes on the Rise?

The economy is a factor, reported 66% of study respondents. Other reasons for the choice include eldercare (34%); childcare (34%); change in job status (30%); healthcare costs (25%); cultural and family expectations (23%); education and retraining expenses (23%).

In Canada, the 2016 census showed a 37.5% increase in multigenerational homes since 2001. As the Montreal Gazette reported, "this living arrangement is among the fastest growing household type in Canada, spurred by cultural norms imported from immigrant groups, financial necessity in a time of burgeoning house prices, and shifting values."

Families are facing housing questions beyond whether there's a spare room and enough sheets. How has the building industry responded to these changes in the ways we're living?

Are ADUs Increasing Multigenerational Living?

"Granny flats" or "mother-in-law suites" have morphed into fairly substantial attached or detached structures.  ADUs are usually between 600 and 1,000 square feet, according to The ABCs of ADUs published by AARP. But every municipality has its own codes and regulations for these structures, from size to height limitations to whether they can be located within or outside the main home.  

ADUs have grown in popularity in recent years. According to Kol Peterson, an ADU expert based in Portland, Oregon, who helped write the AARP material, California has seen the most significant uptick. Los Angeles alone issued 15 ADU permits in 2013 and 6,747 in 2019. Other cities and states are following the trend too. Portland, Oregon, for example, now has about 3,000 ADUs, and Seattle and other cities and states have adopted or updated ADU codes, Peterson says. In New York, Senate Bill S4547, intended to regulate ADUs, is making the rounds in the State Senate.

Are Laneway Homes Increasing Multigenerational Living?

There's more demand for multigenerational homes in higher-priced cities, of course. In Canada, Vancouver and Toronto are among the most expensive cities in the world when it comes to housing. 

In many Canadian cities, homeowners are building a type of ADU in place of a garage on the main property. These are known as "laneway homes." (Watch this video exploring laneway homes.) Owners may rent the houses, but they are considered part of the main house and cannot be sold as standalone structures. Not all lots are eligible; the main house has to be a certain distance from the laneway, for example. Different cities and municipalities have other regulations, like how far the dwelling must be to the nearest street and fire hydrants.

Toronto has seen a "real spike and interest in life-cycle housing," Leith Moore told the Toronto Star in June 2020. Moore is a former adjunct professor at the School of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Waterloo and is principal and founder of R-Hauz Solutions. Moore's Toronto-based company manufactures turnkey, factory-built laneway and midrise avenue housing. Moore believes that COVID will wake many people to the notion of having family close by. He says that laneway houses are a great solution and alternative to fleeing to the exurbs.