Quote:
Originally Posted by SLCPolitico
I'm not going to speak for everyone in my generation but I know a lot of millennials around my age that, for them, having a studio apartment isn't a huge deal. And even micro units with shared kitchens and common spaces on each floor are even something they'd prefer having, mostly because of the price but also because of the instant community you have.
This may be more of a phenomenon in larger cities where living space is more expensive and young people aren't getting married / starting families so they don't need larger apartments. But even here in Salt Lake -- spending less time at home and rarely cooking so why have a big kitchen. Minimalism has been spreading as a trend, along with the preference for having experiences rather than things. For many, apartments are just a place to sleep and not much more than that.
Obviously this is a lot of generalization and not representative of everyone, but just sharing what I've noticed and some of my own personal feelings.
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Well speaking as a millennial myself, I see a lot of people struggling to find housing and most people are taking these small spaces out of necessity, not because of what they actually want. Also, it speaks to a broader point I want to make, which is that this kind of housing is very temporary for most people. Sure, renting and apartments will always be temporary for the most part, but I think there's a lot of people who want to be more settled within the city but can't because of the limited housing options. I'm not sure if it's a major issue YET, but it will be if we continue building huge studio developments. A mix of housing options is ALWAYS the best choice, in my opinion. It's good to have studio apartments available, as I said I'm just not convinced that building huge complexes of entirely tiny studio apartments is a good solution to the housing crisis. Also even millennials want to own their own home - it's just that many of us can't.
Honestly most people I know in my age group cook at least a little bit, and while maybe we're less materialistic than previous generations, that doesn't mean we don't want space. And for that, I don't personally really know anybody who would rather have a communal kitchen space over their own kitchen space. I know I wouldn't. What you're saying might be true of young professionals, but in my experience it's not really true of the average working-class person in any way. Or maybe our experiences are just different, I'm just going by what I see. Also, sure people are getting married and having families later, but people who do happen to have families often won't even consider Salt Lake City because of how expensive the housing is and how few 3+ bedroom apartment options there are in the city. I think we should be doing more to encourage families to not only stay in the city, but come to the city as well.
My final point is that housing tends to be more affordable with roommates. It's easier for me to afford the 3-bedroom apartment I currently live in with 2 roommates than it would be for my own studio apartment.
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