‘It’s a win-win’: the adult children living at home

theguardian.com:

Soaring rents and the cost of living crisis mean there are 620,000 more adult children now living with their parents than a decade ago, figures from the 2021 census show.

There has been an almost 15% rise in the number of “non dependant adult children” living in their parents’ home, taking the number to 4.9 million.

Here, three young people in the UK share why they’re living with family in their 20s.

After leaving college in 2020, Chloe Kerfoot, 21, opted to keep living in her family home while completing an apprenticeship. She is glad to be living with her parents and younger brother in West Yorkshire over living in a flatshare. “I have a great relationship with my family; I’m loved, cared for and have their full support,” says Kerfoot, who works in marketing. “I help around the house and I’ve got a good home life so it’s a win-win really.” She pays £250 toward her board and says living at home has allowed her to save money.

“I’ve got a good balance – I go to work, go to the gym most evenings, then go home for a bit of a chin-wag with my family. I see my friends now and then. A lot of it is being able to have a good life – you can just buy the things you want [like] gym gear and nice new trainers. I can go out with my friends and not worry about being able to pay rent.

“You obviously get a little bit of strain, when [I’m asked] ‘What time are you coming home?’ You do lose that little bit of freedom – I’ve got to let them know to leave bolt off the door if I’m out. But I’ve got it really good – I know people go to uni to get away from home.”

Kerfoot says she would struggle to afford to rent alone. “It’s not looking good in terms of being a single person trying to rent a property. In a few years when I’ve progressed in my