The volatile U.S. multifamily housing market has returned to pre-recession investment levels, driven largely by Millennials putting off home-buying and settling for rentals, but in the long term it will be baby boomers that will drive the market as they downsize, according to the Kansas City Federal Reserve.
Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, have shown strong interest in apartments as the economy has recovered, partly because of a preference for city living but also because they are delaying marrying and having children due to debt and unemployment.
Kansas City Fed senior economist Jordan Rappaport wrote in a report that the share of young-adult households renting apartments in multifamily units decreased from 2000 to 2007 when looser mortgage credit standards and expectations of rising house prices made home ownership more attractive, but the share has since returned to normal levels.
Older Americans, meanwhile, are "increasingly downsizing" to apartments, generally beginning around age 70 and doing so more often by age 75, Rappaport wrote.
The oldest baby boomers will turn 70 next year, and the number of Americans aged 70 and older will increase by more than 20 million in the next 15 years, the Census Bureau projects.
"In consequence, multifamily home construction is likely to continue to grow at a healthy rate through the end of the decade and thereafter remain well above its level prior to the housing crisis," the report said.
Building permits for the multifamily segment soared 24.9% in May, and permits for buildings with five or more units reached their highest level since January 1990.
The report said that builders would need to adapt to the changing trends because while millenials lived in compact city spaces, older buyers tended to want more space and amenities.
(Reporting by Megan Cassella; Editing by Andrea Ricci © Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015)
Related Stories
Apartments | Aug 22, 2023
Key takeaways from RCLCO's 2023 apartment renter preferences study
Gregg Logan, Managing Director of real estate consulting firm RCLCO, reveals the highlights of RCLCO's new research study, “2023 Rental Consumer Preferences Report.” Logan speaks with BD+C's Robert Cassidy.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 16, 2023
One of New York’s largest office-to-residential conversions kicks off soon
One of New York City’s largest office-to-residential conversions will soon be underway in lower Manhattan. 55 Broad Street, which served as the headquarters for Goldman Sachs from 1967 until 1983, will be reborn as a residence with 571 market rate apartments. The 30-story building will offer a wealth of amenities including a private club, wellness and fitness activities.
Sustainability | Aug 15, 2023
Carbon management platform offers free carbon emissions assessment for NYC buildings
nZero, developer of a real-time carbon accounting and management platform, is offering free carbon emissions assessments for buildings in New York City. The offer is intended to help building owners prepare for the city’s upcoming Local Law 97 reporting requirements and compliance. This law will soon assess monetary fines for buildings with emissions that are in non-compliance.
Sponsored | Multifamily Housing | Aug 15, 2023
Embracing Integrations: When Access Control Becomes Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
Multifamily Housing | Aug 11, 2023
Hotels extend market reach with branded multifamily residences
The line separating hospitality and residential living keeps getting thinner. Multifamily developers are attracting renters and owners to their properties with hotel-like amenities and services. Post-COVID, more business travelers are building in extra days to their trips for leisure. Buildings that mix hotel rooms with for-sale or rental apartments are increasingly common.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Aug 10, 2023
Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward gets a 21-story, 162-unit multifamily residential building
East of downtown Atlanta, a new residential building called Signal House will provide the city with 162 units ranging from one to three bedrooms. Located on the Atlanta BeltLine, a former railway corridor, the 21-story building is part of the latest phase of Ponce City Market, a onetime Sears building and now a mixed-use complex.
Senior Living Design | Aug 7, 2023
Putting 9 senior living market trends into perspective
Brad Perkins, FAIA, a veteran of more than four decades in the planning and design of senior living communities, looks at where the market is heading in the immediate future.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2023
6 multifamily housing projects win 2023 LEED Homes Awards
The 2023 LEED Homes Awards winners in the multifamily space represent green, LEED-certified buildings designed to provide clean indoor air and reduced energy consumption.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Jul 27, 2023
OMA, Beyer Blinder Belle design a pair of sculptural residential towers in Brooklyn
Eagle + West, composed of two sculptural residential towers with complementary shapes, have added 745 rental units to a post-industrial waterfront in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rising from a mixed-use podium on an expansive site, the towers include luxury penthouses on the top floors, numerous market rate rental units, and 30% of units designated for affordable housing.
Affordable Housing | Jul 27, 2023
Houston to soon have 50 new residential units for youth leaving foster care
Houston will soon have 50 new residential units for youth leaving the foster care system and entering adulthood. The Houston Alumni and Youth (HAY) Center has broken ground on its 59,000-sf campus, with completion expected by July 2024. The HAY Center is a nonprofit program of Harris County Resources for Children and Adults and for foster youth ages 14-25 transitioning to adulthood in the Houston community.