As Gen X and Boomers Age, They Confront Living Alone
As Gen X and Baby Boomers grow older, they’re more likely than ever to live alone. Only 13 percent of adults lived alone in 1960; now, it’s 30 percent. And they tend to hog bigger homes with multiple bedrooms that they don’t really need or want. Why? Because of the shortage of small homes, no thanks to zany zoning laws that suppress the supply. Only 7 percent of new builds are under 1,400 square feet, whereas 40 years ago, about 40 percent were that size. Older adults often can’t afford to downsize and can’t find anything to buy anyway.
