Getting back with your ex through self-determination is an overwhelming decision in itself, but what happens when you have no other choice? That is the reality of more and more people in the United States who, faced with the high cost of living and the housing crisis, have returned to live with their ex-partners after a divorce or breakup. Experts say the consequences can be emotionally devastating and may not outweigh the potential financial benefits.
“High housing costs are causing more couples to cohabit, even as the romantic flames of their union have died out,” real estate broker Chuck VanderStelt told Fox News Digital. “I have spoken to many divorcing couples who are weighing options and keeping a close eye on the market. In the meantime, they continue to live together.”
Some real estate experts, like Stelt, believe the trend toward post-breakup cohabitation is growing, as more people in their 30s and 40s, many with children, turn to their services to evaluate whether to sell the family home or stay together.
“Many homeowners have mortgages Very low interest rate and easy repayment. “It’s hard to let it go and face the alternative of significantly higher housing costs,” he added.
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“We cannot complete without sharing the same house”
Relationship advice websites and Internet forums are filled with tenants and landlords looking for solutions to deal with this problem. “Does anyone else need to be with their ex? We got divorced and he moved out for a few years, but housing costs have skyrocketed,” wrote one user on the Reddit forum. R/Poverty FinanceWith over 2 million members.
“We both have good jobs. I am a teacher and he is a mechanic. We literally cannot complete without sharing the same house. “We are good roommates and our kids benefit from this, but I feel like a failure in life,” he added.
Hundreds of people echoed the post. “Good for you for trying and making it work, although it seems like there are no good options. Use this time to save up, look for other housing/roommate options, and make a plan. It’s pretty tough out there.” And you’re doing what you can to make the most of it,” one user replied.
“My wife and I contributed about US$80,000. For 30 years with rising housing costs and interest rates of 6.5, our last quote was US$2,208 per month. It’s a $300,000 home with a 20% down payment and high property taxes. Over 40% of our salary goes into the house and that’s 30 years! In the end, we decided to continue renting,” says another comment.
Living with “someone you don’t like” to pay the rent
Cassidy Hope, a content creator documenting her life as a low-income single mother on TikTok, explained in late 2023 that she was forced to continue living with her children’s father because the landlord would not allow them to terminate the contract without payment. The rest of the word in its entirety.
“We don’t live together as a family, we just exist in one place (…) Think of a bad roommate, someone you don’t like, but who you have to live with because you have a lease. That’s who we are,” Hope says in the material, where she is seen cleaning the entire house by herself. “No, it doesn’t help, but my kids deserve a clean house.”
By living with their exes, many Americans are trying to save money and maintain stability in their homes, especially if children are involved. But the results can be negative, especially if peers are exposed to frequent emotional stress due to domestic conflicts.
Research from the University of Missouri published in the journal Family Relations found that psychological distress in the form of depression and anxiety is common in relationships with ex-partners. Studies have determined that it is also associated with higher rates of abuse, lower levels of commitment and poor communication.
Such situations are reminiscent of the Kovid-19 pandemic. Mandatory quarantine doesn’t leave many options for family units and couples, who continue under the same roof, no matter how dysfunctional their realities. “Violence against women, especially domestic violence, has intensified since the beginning of the pandemic,” the UN acknowledged in its “The Shadow Pandemic” campaign.
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