With

housing
markets
across
the
country
dealing
with
a
lack
of
inventory
and
rapidly
rising
prices,
working-age
adults
who
let
their
parents
live
with
them
is
an
increasingly
common
situation.
It’s
intended
to
limit
the
total
amount
of
expenses
for
one
of
the
involved
parties.

The
impact
on
a
working-age
adult’s
ability
to
buy
a
home
or
pay
a
mortgage
varies.
That’s
according
to
a
new
survey
from

Realtor.com
that
shows
split
opinions
on
whether
it
helps
or
hurts.

Realtor.com
calls
these
people
the
“sandwich
generation,”
defined
as
those
supporting
both
their
parents
and
children
under
the
age
of
18.

Millennials
make
up
36%
of
this
generation,

Generation
Z
is
30%,

Generation
X
is
16%
and

baby
boomers
are
17%.

Of
this
group,
one-third
say
that
caretaking
both
children
and
parents
has
helped
them
afford
to
buy
a
home.
These
people
are
commonly
receiving
help
from
older
family,
either
in
the
form
of
previously
generated
equity
in
the
older
family’s
house
or
from
higher
retirement
income.

But
another
30%
say
it’s
preventing
them
from
buying
a
home.

“Today’s
housing
market
presents
a
challenge
to
most
buyers,
but
especially
to
first
time
buyers,
many
of
which
are
Millennials
or
Gen
Z,”
the
Realtor.com
report
reads.
“For
those
in
the
Sandwich
Generation,
housing
may
feel
either
untenable
given
family
financial
needs,
or
perhaps
more
approachable
due
to
family
support.”

Roughly
one
in
six
Americans
qualify
as
being
part
of
the
sandwich
generation.
Among
millennials,
57%
say
that
receiving
support
from
parents
helps
them
afford
a
home,
while
45%
say
it’s
helping
them
to
financially
prepare
for
retirement.

But
47%
say
that
caretaking
older
family
and
children
simultaneously
is
preventing
them
from
buying
a
home.

The
gender
makeup
of
the
sandwich
generation
skews
toward
men,
with
56%
being
males.

“It
seems
the
impact
of
caretaking
responsibilities
on
the
Sandwich
Generation
is
highly
dependent
on
what
circumstances
and
arrangements
their
family
has
settled
on,”
the
report
concludes.

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