Surge in Multigenerational Households

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I find the trend of increasing multigenerational living interesting.
The economic and social trends provide a scope for a creative thinking on this style of households.The burden of care for increasingly aged population could be partly addressed by appropriate encouragement of multigenerational living arrangements through homes designs which would allow sufficient separation and privacy for respective generation.
I am proposing a house design where under one roof are two living quaters each with its own front door but access through a shared lobby
from a front door.Each generation is responsible for its household bills but their proximity allows for easy delivery of mutual care and support from each occupant (e.g. help with shopping for elders,babysitting/childcare for the young family etc.

Olga Margolius 1:46AM July 21, 2011

The article says: Immigration also was cited. Hispanic, African-American, and Asian-American immigrant households, Pew reported, include more multigenerational occupants than households of native-born Americans. "Hispanics (22 percent), blacks (23 percent and Asians (25 percent) are all significantly more likely than whites (13 percent) to live in a multigenerational family household," according to the Pew report, The Return of the Multigenerational Family Household.
I just wanted to point out that most African-Americans and a large percentage of Asian and Hispanic households are, in fact, "native-born Americans."

Annie Gabston-Howell of CA 6:13PM March 21, 2010

Divorce adds to the multi-gen family, as the other spouse no longer would have to live with an in-law (and vice-versa). Also, with the unbelieveably high cost of infant and child care, and more mothers having to work, having a home large enough for an in-law might be the most economical decision a couple ever made. Conversely, seniors who need help but can provide a home for children, with or w/o spouses, are far more comfortable inviting relatives into their homes than a slew of strangers for cleaning, health care, meals, or just checking on them. It requires people to be adult enough to respect boundaries, to bite their tongues to avoid popping off, and to simply show the same manners and respect to a family member that they would offer a stranger. (And I doubt if asdasd qualifies.)

GreatBabysitter of CA 5:37PM March 21, 2010