More and more adults in Bedford are STILL living with their parents

Significantly more adults in Bedford are still living with their parents than a decade before.

And Intergenerational Foundation – a charity which campaigns for fairness across the different generations – said equality between older and younger people is at risk if younger generations are unable to get on to the housing ladder and reach the same milestones their parents and grandparents did.

New census figures from the Office for National Statistics show 15,385 non-dependent children lived in the family home in 2021 – significantly up from 11,714 in 2011, when the last census was undertaken.

A non-dependent child is someone living with their parents and is either over-18 and without a partner or child or a 16-18 year old and not in full-time education.

Of the 7,946 households where non-dependent children stayed with their parents, 4,266 of the parents were married or in a civil partnership, 496 were co-habiting, while a further 3,184 were single parents.

Angus Hanton, co-founder of charity Intergenerational Foundation, said: "As these figures make plain, a toxic combination of high housing and energy costs, high tax rates, and low wages, has driven millions of young people back to the family home, instead of striking out on their own.

"Intergenerational fairness is at risk if our children and grandchildren are unable to achieve the same milestones enjoyed by previous generations.

"What most parents want is for their children to do better than them: the Census shows that their children face markedly worse prospects."

Further ONS figures show house prices in Bedford have risen by an average of 71%, from £178,750 in December 2011 to £305,000 in December 2021, leaving many first-time buyers struggling to get on the housing market.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it is providing "significant support" to help people through the cost-of-living crisis.

A spokesperson said: "Our Renters Reform Bill will also deliver a fairer deal for renters, abolishing no-fault evictions so that all tenants have greater security in their homes and are empowered to challenge unreasonable rent rises."

They said it is investing £11.5 billion to build affordable homes across the country.