Multi-generational living is growing in the US. A report from Pew Research Center shows that 20% of adults or 64 million people are living with two or more adult generations in a single household. For real estate professionals, the trend is giving way to rising demand for larger format houses with more bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces. Urban Pacific Group of Cos. has responded to the demand with the Urban Townhouse. The model varies in size, but generally has five bedrooms, many with en suite bathrooms.

“In the UTH model, we are providing a space for that family to live where it didn't exist before. UTH initially was a solution directed at the moderate income large family population. We didn't think multi-generational in the beginning,” Scott Choppin, founder of Urban Pacific Group, tells GlobeSt.com. “We just figured out for ourselves that there was a need that was not being met. UTH is an answer for moderate income housing; it is an answer for large family living; it is an answer for townhouse style apartment living; and it is an answer to multi-generational housing. It is an answer for many parts of the market, although many of them are related.”

Both economics along with changes in demographics and culture drive the trend toward multi-generational living. Living together is more cost effective, particularly in markets with a high cost of living. “The idea of sharing income and costs across the family group is becoming more prevalent because it is required in market places like California that has high housing costs,” says Choppin. “The co-living model is the same economic model but applied to unrelated people. Our units have the same economic model but applied to related family groups.”