JUNE 2024

Sophie Johnston summarises the findings of our
Home Truths Panel report: "Affecting a whole generation".

Our Home Truths paper, Single Adults Living With Their Parents, highlighted a Census 2022 finding that one third of 25-29 year olds are living with their parents. It was less than a quarter in Census 2011.

New research from the National Youth Council of Ireland finds one in four 27-29 year olds who are currently living with their parents 'moved back' within the last two years - an emerging 'boomerang' trend.

An increasing proportion of younger adults are having to put their lives on hold because they simply cannot establish their own independent households due to a housing market that is "characterised by a chronic, and worsening, lack of supply" and monthly rents that continue to increase.

As our Home Truths paper highlighted, the majority of adults living with their parents are working.

Our Home Truths paper Single Adults Living With Their Parents included the experiences of adults staying at our emergency shelter for whom relationship breakdown with a parent had contributed to their experience of becoming homeless.

Home Truths: "Affecting a Whole Generation" builds on that by exploring the experiences of adults currently living with their parents. 

Concern has been noted about the social and psychological impact on young adults stuck living at home due to the lack of alternative affordable housing.

Further concern stems from the precarious nature of their housing, which is dependent on goodwill and good relationships.

As we highlighted in our first Home Truths paper - Single Homelessness in the Southwest, almost one in ten single adults new to emergency accommodation in the region in the last quarter of 2023 became homeless due to a relationship breakdown with a parent.

The participants in our Home Truths Panel for this addendum report are living at home with their parents, are doing what they can to live and work, and maximise their opportunities in a compromised housing market.

Their discussion shines a light on how the private rental market in Ireland is not fit for purpose. It speaks to important areas of their lives being compromised as a result of having to live at home with their parents. Issues around working from home, higher household bills, and lengthy and expensive commutes are highlighted. And emigration emerged organically as a prevalent theme throughout the panel discussion.

Participants in our Home Truths Panel summed up the options facing their generation in the current housing crisis:

LIVE AT HOME "...there's a lack of freedom there entirely."

RENT "...and struggle with bills."

BUY "...if you can."

EMIGRATE "...and that comes with a lot of difficulties as well with leaving your family behind..."

DOWNLOAD HOME TRUTHS: "AFFECTING A WHOLE GENERATION

Read Sophie's Home Truths Blog

Cork Simon’s ‘Home Truths’ series aims to offer insights into different aspects and experiences of homelessness in the Southwest, drawing on publicly available data and supported by personal experiences of Cork Simon service users.