As Families Weather Tough Times, Trend of Multi-Generational Homes Grows

Sept. 23, 2008— -- Janis and Andy Mink got married, raised a daughter, sent her off to college, but are still not empty nesters. Three years ago, Janis' 87-year-old mother, Marie Hendrickson, moved in.

"I worried about her in the winter living by herself," Janis said. "What if she slips? What if she gets hurt? Who can help her?"

The Minks are just one of the 3.6 million American families making room for older parents, according to numbers released today by the Census Bureau. With more Americans struggling to keep a roof over their heads, some parents who need care or have outlived their savings are moving in with their adult children.

"I really think we are going to see an increase in multi-generational households, based on need -- based on what's happening in our economy on foreclosures, on people having more difficulty staying in their homes or maintaining their homes," said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, an advocacy organization.

And it's not just elderly parents who are moving in; the census finds a 75 percent increase in parents under the age of 65 who are now living with their adult children, as well as a 24 percent increase in live-in brothers and sisters.

In many immigrant families, multi-generational households are the norm; it represents an old-world approach to economic challenges facing families today.

"Family structure in the U.S. is evolving," Butts said. "It is evolving in some ways back to how families used to live. That is, they're living in multi-generational households."

The trend is due, in part, to the fact that people are living longer, and many want to be near family, or have special care-giving needs. All of those factors are compounded by the burden of the economy.

While moving in under one roof offers a practical solution to ease economic troubles, it can create a whole new set of conflicts. Family relations can be strained over issues, like paying the bills or determining who is in charge.