Overview:
The housing crisis in California is dividing families. We want to hear from homeowners with adult children not able to live locally, as well as from that younger generation itself, about the family dislocation brought on by the housing crunch.
The housing crisis in Santa Cruz County, and across California, has often been framed as a growing socio-economic chasm between Haves and Have-Nots, defined not only by wealth, but by timing. And it’s hard to argue otherwise. Older folks had access to an affordable housing market that younger people often view as a late-stage-capitalism fairy tale — “Wait, you bought your house for how much?!?”
But the wrinkle in that narrative is that many Haves are related to many Have-Nots. The housing chasm is separating families.
I can’t count how many times I’ve chatted with older homeowners from across Santa Cruz County and beyond about a common conundrum, a hidden cost of the housing crisis even for those inside the housing-market velvet rope. For homeowners with adult children, living in California today often means their own offspring cannot afford to live anywhere close by. It means a relationship of distance with not only their children but their grandchildren, solely on the basis of housing affordability.
I can relate. My wife and I are among the lucky ones. We have stable housing, and we’re grateful for it. But my own adult children cannot hope to live in the community where they grew up — though, in my case, I’m not sure they would actually want to.
We want to hear from folks facing this issue. We want to hear about what it means emotionally to have sons and daughters and grandchildren living in a distant place or different state, not by choice, but by necessity. I’ve heard a real sense of loss from people counting on a close relationship with their grandchildren, only now to have to master the unsatisfying art of being a Zoom grandparent.
And we want to hear how people are adapting to this situation.
Some have found a way to live locally and bring their families closer, by building an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on their property for an adult child, or moving into the ADU themselves and allowing their children, perhaps with children of their own, to live in the main house.
What are your strategies for dealing with the situation?
Or are you considering giving up on Santa Cruz or California and moving to another state to be closer to family? Do you have friends who have? What does that loss feel like?
If you’re a part of younger generations living in this situation, we’d love to hear from you as well. What does this situation do to the relationship you have with your parents? How does it color your view of your hometown? What are your strategies?
Let us know your feelings on the squeeze that homeowning parents of adult children are feeling, and the solutions and adaptations they are making to keep their children close to home, and vice versa. We want to shine some light on this subject, and bring a bit of humanity to the daunting and often dispiriting data.
Please contact me at wallace@lookoutlocal.com. I’d love to hear your story.