Change

GLOBAL INVESTOR 1.17 —38
Multigenerational housing
As incomes and mobility increase, it has become rare in
many countries for multiple generations to live under the
same roof. Thus, the benefits of this traditional housing
arrangement (such as free care for children and the
elderly) are disappearing. In addition, the growing number
of elderly increases public care costs. An initiative to rebuild
the social network similar to families was taken
in Germany with the so-called “Mehrgenerationenhäuser”
(multigenerational houses). The idea behind such
houses is to create an environment that accommodates
the elderly, children and nurseries, where young and old
can support each other. The “Lighthouse” in Berlin is
one example of a multigenerational house where 29 adults
aged from 26 to 70, 14 children between 2 and 13 years of
age and several pets live together, creating a family of
choice for many of them. They epitomize the very idea of
the sharing economy, as the senior residents, for example,
read books to the children and the teenagers train the
elderly to use computers. Multigenerational living is not
only a socializing project for the older generation. It also
helps provide new housing options for open- minded
younger people that are priced out of the regular housing
market and are happy to find an affordable place to live.
A more extended form of multigenerational housing can be
found in intergenerational living projects, where nursing
homes and nurseries exist under one roof. Such arrangements
are expected to significantly reduce the cost of care.
While multigenerational housing may be considered a
niche model rather than the global solution to the housing
problems associated with demographic change, it is a
promising model for the future.
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The Murundaka Cohousing Community in Melbourne, Australia, is an example of multigenerational housing.
The idea is to bring together young and old in an environment where they can support each other, at affordable cost.