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I think this is closer to hitting the truth. I'll add... I think idealizing single family housing as the default, over generational family housing (mostly as a

I think this is closer to hitting the truth. I'll add... I think idealizing single family housing as the default, over generational family housing (mostly as a response to industrialization wanting worker movement, and the advent of automobiles) is going to eventually be seen as an unforgivable mistake. And they're all made out of ticky-tacky And they all look just the same

Analemma_ 2y ago
I see this take a lot, and I think it has a terribly romanticized and unrealistic rose-colored view of the past. Multi-generational housing suuuuucks, and it’s a near-universal feature of human societies that as soon as people become wealthy enough to vote with their feet and get out of it, they immediately do so, because “multi-generational housing” means constantly having nosy relatives butting into your business, demanding a say in your decisions, and being a downward drag on your life trajectory. People romanticize it if they’ve never experienced it, but in practice everybody hates it.
- ty6853 2y ago
  It's code for free childcare. Although in the old days the deal was the elderly took care of the kids and in turn the sandwich generation takes care of the elderly. Now the elderly taxes the shit out the sandwich generation, wields housing regulation to enrich themselves, and renegs on giving anything in return because they have you by the balls already paying taxes to them whether any SS is left for you or not.
  - horsawlarway 2y ago
    I want to emphasize - amortized child care and free elder care - it's labor but not capital, and most families have lots of labor to spare that ends up going to leisure/free time right now in ways that probably aren't socially sustainable. I watched all but one of my grandparents go absolutely bankrupt from elder care costs (dementia on one side, alzheimer's on the other), then I watched my parents shell out on the order of 10k/month in long term care costs for years, and that was just their portion of costs, after splitting among siblings (7 total siblings across both sides). The only one who didn't go bankrupt had long term care insurance that you literally cannot buy anymore, at basically any price. So I'll add that expectation to my future payments. Combined with the 4500/m I pay now for child care for 3 children. Not to mention the possibility of 100k/year private education costs as we dissolve federal funding for education in public schools, and see declining school quality in general. All told... I firmly expect to end up housing my elderly parents anyways (and in-laws) because they simply didn't have as many children, and were the first generation to be completely pension-less, combined with what appears to be a truly incompetent admin in the US gutting the last shreds of our social nets and drastically increasing living costs.
- horsawlarway 2y ago
  Yes, and most people prefer to eat sweets and pizza instead of vegetables. That doesn't change that single family homes are essentially making childcare and elderly costs skyrocket. Personally, I'd much rather deal with the inconvenience of having family in my house than pay more than the mortgage on my property for childcare, and have my parents die bankrupt because of long term care costs. Single family households bleed generational wealth, and that's somewhat ok during a period where the house itself appreciates enough to offset that... but otherwise... it's a bad deal. Side note... it really helps if you don't hate your family. Sounds like you have personal issues on that front.

Analemma_ 2y ago

I see this take a lot, and I think it has a terribly romanticized and unrealistic rose-colored view of the past. Multi-generational housing suuuuucks, and it’s a near-universal feature of human societies that as soon as people become wealthy enough to vote with their feet and get out of it, they immediately do so, because “multi-generational housing” means constantly having nosy relatives butting into your business, demanding a say in your decisions, and being a downward drag on your life trajectory. People romanticize it if they’ve never experienced it, but in practice everybody hates it.

ty6853 2y ago
It's code for free childcare. Although in the old days the deal was the elderly took care of the kids and in turn the sandwich generation takes care of the elderly. Now the elderly taxes the shit out the sandwich generation, wields housing regulation to enrich themselves, and renegs on giving anything in return because they have you by the balls already paying taxes to them whether any SS is left for you or not.
- horsawlarway 2y ago
  I want to emphasize - amortized child care and free elder care - it's labor but not capital, and most families have lots of labor to spare that ends up going to leisure/free time right now in ways that probably aren't socially sustainable. I watched all but one of my grandparents go absolutely bankrupt from elder care costs (dementia on one side, alzheimer's on the other), then I watched my parents shell out on the order of 10k/month in long term care costs for years, and that was just their portion of costs, after splitting among siblings (7 total siblings across both sides). The only one who didn't go bankrupt had long term care insurance that you literally cannot buy anymore, at basically any price. So I'll add that expectation to my future payments. Combined with the 4500/m I pay now for child care for 3 children. Not to mention the possibility of 100k/year private education costs as we dissolve federal funding for education in public schools, and see declining school quality in general. All told... I firmly expect to end up housing my elderly parents anyways (and in-laws) because they simply didn't have as many children, and were the first generation to be completely pension-less, combined with what appears to be a truly incompetent admin in the US gutting the last shreds of our social nets and drastically increasing living costs.
horsawlarway 2y ago
Yes, and most people prefer to eat sweets and pizza instead of vegetables. That doesn't change that single family homes are essentially making childcare and elderly costs skyrocket. Personally, I'd much rather deal with the inconvenience of having family in my house than pay more than the mortgage on my property for childcare, and have my parents die bankrupt because of long term care costs. Single family households bleed generational wealth, and that's somewhat ok during a period where the house itself appreciates enough to offset that... but otherwise... it's a bad deal. Side note... it really helps if you don't hate your family. Sounds like you have personal issues on that front.