Comment: When we talk about housing, we often talk about numbers: house prices, the cost of rent, dwelling size, property values and so on. We talk less about what kind of life our homes are built to hold.
For many in Aotearoa New Zealand, the dream is still owning a standalone house. But this is not a dream – let alone an economic reality – for everyone. In many indigenous contexts, including Māori and Pacific communities, multi-generational housing is a cultural norm. A home is not just property, it is a place of identity and belonging, stretching beyond the nuclear family household.
A similar view is being captured in collective housing models where shared spaces and community living are prioritised.
Although this way of living tends to be viewed as the exception, my recent thesis research shows multi-generational housing could not only be a response to the current housing crisis, but also provide a culturally grounded and future-focused way of living.
Changing perceptions
Latest census data show the number of multi-generational households has increased over the past decade. In 2023, there were 127,947 extended families living together in one household, a 27.2 percent rise since 2013.
Over the same period, there was a 27.3 percent increase in the number of families with children that had adult children living at home.
It’s not uncommon to see stories in the media about this “boomerang” generation, with the move back home often portrayed as a sign of economic stress or young people failing to launch. But for some households, it is not a sign of failure.
As part of my research, I interviewed people living in households where multi-generational living was nothing new. One interviewee laughed when asked about multi-generational living, saying: “I had to look up what multi-generational living was, because it is just the norm.” Similarly, another said: “It feels normal … we have always had everybody around.”
Interviewees described the benefits of living this way, highlighting village economics, childcare and elder care, and the ability of language and cultural knowledge to be passed down. Comments often emphasised the sharing of care that these arrangements foster, noting: “It is a village that raises you” and “You always help with whatever your grandparents need”.
In a country with an ageing population and stretched care systems, these households are providing vital social infrastructure.
Making it work
Despite the evident benefits of multi-generational living, Kiwi homes aren’t well-designed for this purpose and arrangements are not always ideal.
Though it can strengthen whānau connections, multi-generational living can also place pressure on families when homes are too small, privacy is limited, or caregiving responsibilities are unevenly distributed. Poorly designed, cramped homes result in damaged health, privacy, and relationships.
But the answer shouldn’t be to push extended families into a nuclear family template. Instead, we need design policies that recognise extended family living as a legitimate housing need. For multi-generational housing to work well, it must be intentionally designed and properly supported, rather than relying on families to “make do”.
So, what makes it work? The answers from people I interviewed often came back to the same idea that shared spaces matter.
As one participant told me: “My biggest thing would be the size of the lounge; it is much more important than the bedroom.” Robin Allison, founder of the Earthsong Eco-Neighbourhood, a co-housing project in Auckland’s Ranui, put it another way: “You want the common spaces to be wonderful and the houses to be adequate.”
These comments highlight the importance of shared spaces being large enough to accommodate family life and private areas allowing people to withdraw from the chaos. Second bathrooms, level entries, accessible showers, outdoor areas, storage, flexible rooms, and minor dwellings separate from the main house are other components of successful multi-generational homes.
That said, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach that can be copied everywhere. Instead, designs need to be tailored to accommodate and align with the requirements of changing families, reflecting the intricacies of their day-to-day interactions. After all, families are not one-size-fits-all, so designing for this way of living must reflect differing needs.
Multi-generational housing shouldn’t be romanticised as an easy solution, but it needs to be a viable option as people think more about how they live, not just where they live.
