The housing market has left Generation Z divided, with some stuck living with their parents feeling like children, and renters living without company, writes Chloe Aslett.
In 2011, half of young people in England and Wales had moved out at age 21. In 2021, that age was 24, and it is expected to rise further. At least 620,000 more adults were living with their parents as 'grown-up children' in 2021 compared with a decade earlier, a rise of 13.6 per cent – and 22,000 of that new cohort were 35 years old.
Graduate scheme places are thinning out every year, with demand going up and value seemingly going down. More than a third of graduate jobs are based in London, the most expensive city in the country. Average house prices in the UK are 65 times higher than they were 50 years ago, while wages are only 36 times more.
Aslett, who rents a small flat in Sheffield with her partner, says she feels 'as if I’m playing house with no company' while her friends at home feel frustrated and like they have outgrown their space. She notes that staying at home is not a choice for most people, and that both groups are unhappy with the arrangement.
She concludes by hoping that in the next five years, there will be more houses, restrictions on landlords charging high rents, and young people will be able to live a bit – 'really live'.
