pods, cabins and inlaws

Pods, Cabins and Inlaws

Multigenerational living is on the rise. As more and more families pool their resources to combat the ever-increasing issues of housing affordability, extortionate childcare fees, extortionate social care costs and lack of available social care; as well as our nations mental health, rising isolation and loneliness, it almost seems a no brainer. But does the thought of sharing a shower room all year round with your father in law send you into a spin?

Traditionally us Brits, despite our past being built on communal village living, where your support mechanism was all around you, would choke on our afternoon tea at the thought of sharing our living space!

But the statistic is striking, in 2020, there were '1.8 million households in the UK containing 2 or more adult generations, an increase of 38% in just 10 years' (RICS) and according to AVIVA ‘this forecast will rise to 2.2 million by 2025'! (BBC News)

Anecdotally, at geek, we have noticed our conversations when meeting potential house sellers are changing. According to Burgess and Muir, from Cambridge University, ‘the concept of multigenerational living has traditionally been more prevalent in non-white ethnicity households', but with the barriers of affording your own home in the housing affordability crisis not seemingly going away any time soon, generally speaking, white ethnicity households are having to reframe their way of seeing who they live with and how they live and are having to reconsider their style of living. For the better... or the worse?

Could a pod or two or even three be the answer? Imagine, one for your mother; one for your daughter and their partner; and maybe even one for a third family member that's in need of a little helping hand. A house on a decent plot, could be the inception of a collective way of living. Think, less financial worries; an eradication of loneliness and isolation - a huge killer. A decrease in your carbon footprint and is far more energy efficient! The rise of the pod should not be sniffed at. They could revolutionise our way of living and help save the planet.

This will of course largely depend on a fair few factors, most importantly, making sure you like each other! This would be a good start! Ideally, you would have the following agreement:

A pod of one's own: space to breathe and watch what you like on the tv and releasing bad smells freely.

Not hold onto your niggles: yes, if your brother has an annoying habit of always using the last of the communal milk and NOT replacing it. Thoughts for others are a prerequisite to lasting relationships - of any kind!

Agreeing your finances: who pays for what, must be fair, or else deep seated resentment can quickly rise. Power often comes into play here, and the dynamics of financial responsibility need to be distinct.

Chore division must be fair and equal: again, another necessity to avoid anger and loathing! Fairness is fundamental to a fully functioning family, and everyone must mow the grass on the odd occasion.

But imagine, one Netflix account; one broadband account; sharing utility bills and food costs are all instant ways of living more economically. And in the universe of reciprocation free babysitting and free social care could be thrown into the mix. More money for pleasure is perpetually enticing.

Plus, the emotional turmoil and labour of organising care for both the young and the old; a never ending stress, that can play havoc with your wellbeing.

‘The kind of housing we are building is hopeless for multigenerational living' (RICS). Newly built houses should be more adaptable and accommodate from prams to wheelchairs, but they do not. Currently only 7% of all homes in the UK are fully accessible for all (RICS). That is not good enough! We need forward thinkers and innovators that can make a difference to our lives.

So, whilst we wait for the house builders to catch up, and policy to change, and although there are some really cool and interesting innovative projects in Europe, in the UK not so much. The most referenced project here is ‘the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where architect PRP designed the first post-Olympics housing site, Chobham Manor Phase 1, on behalf of the London Legacy Development Corporation' (RICS). Tokenistic numbers are not going to suddenly transform and enhance the suitability of our housing stock for multigenerational living.

In the meantime, innovation and adaptation play a central role to multigenerational living, and the arrival of pods and cabins are enabling an alternative pathway for families to rethink their lifestyles.

Putting your mother at the bottom of your garden, may not have been what you aspired to once upon a time, but societal change such as an aging population may mean this is the most viable option for your family.

By selling and pooling your collective resources, you could go from living in a squash and a squeeze, in a house that is fit to burst, to lording it over your new manor - maybe even a swimming pool or a sauna.

Currently people are going for farmhouses; houses where an annexe can be created; perhaps from a garage; or building a self-contained flat; or a property that already has a cottage in its grounds. Pods and cabins are becoming increasingly dynamic and make multigenerational living possible, fairly easily. But ultimately, we need more long term sustainable ideas, and to rethink our attitudes, as combatting these huge challenges surely would make for a more cohesive and healthy society?

Bibliography.

Burgess, G & Muir K. “The Increase in Multigenerational Households in the UK: The Motivations for and Experiences of Multigenerational Living”Housing Theory and Society 37(1):1-17. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335203775_The_Increase_in_Multigenerational_Households_in_the_UK_The_Motivations_for_and_Experiences_of_Multigenerational_Living

Branson, A. “Is Multigenerational living the future of Housing?” RICS Modus. 1 March 2020. https://ww3.rics.org/uk/en/modus/built-environment/homes-and-communities/all-together-now–mult-igenerational-living.html

Kelly, J. “Five Ways to Survive a Three Generation Household.” BBC News Magazine. 27 May 2016. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-36396217

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