Three generations live next door - and it's helping this family afford both housing and elder care

"Lauren McCadney had always wanted to live next door to friends or family. In her late 50s, she finally made that happen, though not the way she'd planned. In 2020, Lauren's mother, who had been living with her brother and his family in Frederick, Maryland, died. Lauren, who was going through a difficult divorce and doesn't have children, decided she wanted to be closer to her family and help her brother care for their dad, who was dealing with his own health challenges."

"In 2021, she moved from her home in Chicago to Maryland, renting a house a few blocks away from her brother, James, her sister-in-law, Lorri, and twin 20-year-old nephews, Drew and Carter. In 2023, the five-bedroom house next door to James and Lorri went on the market, and Lauren bought it and moved in with her sister, Cheryl. Now the seven family members live between the two houses, sharing caregiving responsibilities for James Sr., the family patriarch, and forming what they call a family compound."

"Multigenerational living was once the norm in the US. Before World War II, it was almost unheard of for older adults to live independently or to receive care outside their families, while younger people often waited until marriage to move out. That changed for millions of American families as they lived farther apart, independent living services for older people became more accessible, and more women joined the workforce."

Lauren McCadney moved from Chicago to Frederick, Maryland, after her mother's 2020 death and a difficult divorce, to live near her brother and help care for their father. She rented nearby in 2021, then purchased the house next door in 2023, creating a two-house family compound with seven relatives who share caregiving duties. Multigenerational living was common before World War II but declined as families moved farther apart and independent elder services expanded. Rising housing, long-term care, and childcare costs are reversing that trend, producing a quadrupling of multigenerational households between 1971 and 2021, according to Pew Research.

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