Early adulthood housing transitions in Amsterdam: understanding dependence and independence between generations

The housing context has a profound influence on how different generations within families negotiate dependence and independence. This article investigates the nature of intergenerational relations during early adulthood housing transitions. We consider an original dataset of qualitative interviews with young adults and their parents living in and around Amsterdam, where recent housing market liberalisation is challenging home-leaving norms. We find that while strong norms regarding early home-leaving and independence persist, market conditions prompt significant intergenerational support to sustain this “independence.” Support for renting and homeownership are part of different intergenerational dynamics. The first marks a process of easing into adulthood, whereas the latter solidifies new sets of relationships between fully adult generations supporting one another on equal terms. Despite professed individualization in Western European societies, the analysis of early adulthood housing transitions show that intergenerational dependencies can emerge in specific housing markets, requiring creative approaches to support young adult autonomy.