A record 25.2 million adults under 35 lived with their parents in 2025, according to Realtor.com Economic Research’s June 2026 report, The Crowded Nest: More Adults Are Living With Their Parents. For families searching for lease to own homes, low down payment home buying programs, and realistic paths to homeownership, that number matters. Realtor.com also reported that roughly 70% of adults ages 25 to 34 who live with parents are employed, which means this is not so much a jobs problem. It is a housing affordability gap, a housing access problem, and a sign that working adults need better pathways into independent housing and homeownership.
For years, the easy assumption was that young adults living at home were not ready to be independent. Maybe they were not working. Maybe they were not earning enough. Maybe they were not taking the next step seriously. The data, however, tells a different story. Many are employed. Many are contributing. Many are trying to save. Many are doing the responsible thing by staying with family rather than forcing a rental or purchase they cannot yet sustain. That matters because independent living is not just about wanting privacy or adulthood. It is about whether the housing market offers enough realistic ways for working adults and families to move from where they are today into stable housing and, eventually, homeownership.
Young Adults Living With Parents Is a Housing Affordability Signal
The housing affordability crisis is often discussed in terms of home prices, mortgage rates, rent increases, and supply shortages. All of those matter. But the real-life impact is much more personal. A working adult may have income and still be blocked by rising rents, limited savings, student loans, car payments, credit history, higher insurance costs, or a down payment that feels completely out of reach. A family may have steady income and still not quite fit traditional mortgage qualification standards today. A self-employed buyer may be financially strong in real life but need more time for documentation to reflect that income clearly.
That is the gap. Employment can solve the income problem without solving the housing access problem. A paycheck proves someone is working, but it does not automatically create an affordable rental, a down payment, or a traditional mortgage approval. For many young adults living with parents, the issue is not lack of effort. It is the lack of a practical, financially responsible path between living at home and owning a home.
Renting Can Create Independence, But Not Always Progress
For some people, renting is the right next step. It can provide flexibility, privacy, and breathing room, and there are seasons when renting makes perfect sense. But renting alone does not create ownership. Rent is still rent. It gives someone a place to live, but it does not create ownership rights, it does not provide the exclusive right to purchase, it does not allow the resident to participate in appreciation, and it builds equity for the property owner, not for the renter.
For a young adult trying to leave home, renting may create a separate household. But in many markets, high rent can also make it harder to save for the next step. That is the trap so many working adults and families are caught in: stay with family and keep trying to save, or rent and lose financial traction, or try to buy before they are fully ready. None of those options are ideal when what someone really needs is a responsible bridge.
A Traditional Mortgage Is Not the Only Responsible Starting Point
A traditional mortgage remains the right path for many buyers. In fact, some families come to Burson Home Advisors believing they need lease to own homes, only to discover they may be able to purchase directly with the right program fit. BHA works with partner programs that may allow qualified buyers to purchase with as little as 1% down. For the right family, a low down payment home buying program can be the most direct and efficient path forward because it allows them to move into ownership without assuming they must rent, wait, or pursue lease to own first.
That is important. Helping bridge the housing affordability gap does not mean pushing every family into one solution. It means helping each family identify the most responsible path based on their current financial picture, lifestyle, location, timing, and homeownership goals. For some, that path may be a direct purchase with a low down payment option. For others, lease to own homes may create the bridge they need. And for others, the most responsible answer may be not yet, with a clear plan for what needs to happen next. All three can be responsible answers when they are based on guidance instead of guesswork.
Where Lease to Own Homes Fit in the Housing Affordability Gap
Lease to own homes are not a universal solution. They are not right for every family. But when structured well, they can help bridge one of the largest gaps in today’s housing market: the space between where a family is today and where they need to be to purchase. BHA and BHA’s partner lease to own programs can help certain families move into a home now while giving them a documented path toward future ownership.
Depending on the program, that may include:
- The exclusive right to purchase the home
- Monthly payments based on fair market rent in most BHA and partner lease to own structures
- Time to become ready for a traditional mortgage
- The ability to live in the home the family plans to purchase
- Potential equity ownership or appreciation participation, depending on the program
- Guidance around budget, home fit, timing, documentation, and long-term goals
This matters because many families are not simply looking for shelter. They are looking for movement. They want stability. They want clarity. They want to know whether the home they move into today could become the home they own tomorrow.
The Right Path Depends on the Family
One reason the housing affordability crisis feels so overwhelming is that families are often given only two choices: rent or qualify for a mortgage right now. Real life is rarely that simple. A young adult living at home may be working and saving, but still need help understanding whether direct purchase is possible. A relocating family may need to sell an existing home before purchasing again. A prior homeowner may be rebuilding after divorce, job loss, illness, or another major transition.
The right path depends on more than income. It depends on timing, credit profile, debt-to-income ratios, down payment options, lifestyle, location, and the family’s real monthly budget. That is why guidance matters. Without guidance, families often assume they have only one option. With the right guidance, they may discover a more responsible path forward.
Structure Matters in Lease to Own Homes and Low Down Payment Programs
Whether a family is exploring lease to own homes, direct purchase with as little as 1% down, or another homeownership pathway, the structure matters. A responsible path should be clear, documented, and financially sound. For lease to own, that means understanding the monthly payment, the purchase rights, the timeline, the upfront costs, the inspection expectations, and what happens whether the family buys or does not buy.
Most BHA and BHA partner lease to own homes programs are based on fair market rent. If a lease to own payment is higher than fair market rent, the reason should be clearly tied to equity ownership or an equity-building benefit, and that should be explained in writing before a family moves forward. For low down payment purchase programs, the family should understand eligibility, payment expectations, closing cost requirements, and whether the full structure fits their long-term financial picture. The goal is not to move someone into a home at any cost. The goal is to help families choose a path that supports stability instead of stress.
How Burson Home Advisors Helps Families Find the Right Path
Burson Home Advisors was built for families who are caught between renting, waiting, living with family, and traditional homeownership. We begin with the whole picture: income, budget, credit profile, housing history, lifestyle, location, timing, and long-term goals. From there, we help families understand whether a direct purchase, lease to own homes, or another next step makes the most sense. That may include exploring a partner program that allows qualified buyers to purchase with as little as 1% down. It may include reviewing lease to own pathways through BHA or BHA’s partner programs. It may include helping a family understand what needs to happen before they are ready to move forward. The work is not simply about finding homes. It is about helping families identify the right path into the right home, at the right time, with the right structure to create the desired lifestyle. That is how housing access begins to change.
Why Better Paths to Ownership Matter
The fact that 25.2 million young adults under 35 live with parents should not be dismissed as a lifestyle preference or a temporary trend. It is a signal. Realtor.com’s coverage notes that the share of adults under 35 living with parents was 33.0% in 2025, close to the pandemic-era peak of 33.6% in 2020. When millions of working adults cannot form independent households, the market is telling us something. Employment matters, but employment alone is not enough. Renting matters, but renting alone does not create ownership. Traditional mortgages matter, but not every capable family fits the traditional timeline at the exact moment they need housing. That is where responsible alternatives matter.
Direct purchase programs with lower down payments, structured lease to own homes, equity-building pathways, and thoughtful guidance can all play a role in helping address the housing affordability crisis. Not for every family, and not without careful review, but for the right family with the right structure, these pathways can create movement where the traditional market has created a standstill.
A Final Thought
The crowded nest is not just a family living arrangement. It is a housing access warning sign. Millions of working adults and families want independence, stability, and a path toward ownership. Many are not asking for shortcuts. They are asking for a realistic way forward. More housing supply matters. Better affordability matters. But better pathways matter, too.
At Burson Home Advisors, we believe helping address the housing affordability crisis requires more than telling families to wait, rent indefinitely, or give up on homeownership because they do not fit the traditional mold today. It requires listening to where they are, understanding where they want to go, and helping them find a financially sound path to get there. For many families, that path does exist. They simply need someone to help them see it.
Twenty-five million adults are waiting for the housing market to make room for them. Some of them do not have to wait as long as they think. Let’s find out if you’re one of them.
Learn more about Burson Home Advisors’ lease to own program in this press release.
About Tamera Nielsen
Tamera Nielsen is a licensed real estate advisor and lease-to-own specialist serving the Triangle, Triad, and North Carolina. As the founder of Burson Home Advisors, she helps first-time buyers, single parents, and families who’ve been turned down by traditional lenders find a real path to homeownership. Her Red Carpet One & Done Tourโข approach and hands-on negotiation style have helped clients across Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, and beyond close on homes they were told they couldn’t have.