Gehan Homes sales counselor Bertha Cruz said there has been an increase in the need for multigenerational housing in Katy. Multigenerational housing is defined as a home where more than two generations live under the same roof, local real estate experts said.

Developers such as Newland Communities, Toll Brothers and Lennar Homes, who have developed neighborhoods including Elyson and Cane Island, offer NextGen homes that help meet the need for multigenerational housing options.

NextGen home floorplans typically feature a separate suite attached to the original house with a kitchenette, single-car garage, bedroom, private living room and a separate entrance.

A Pew Research Center study published in April showed about 20 percent of Americans live in a multigenerational household. Heather Gustafson, marketing director for Newland Communities, said this trend is prevalent in Katy, too.

“At Elyson we are definitely seeing an increased number of home plans designed to appeal to seniors, empty nesters and multigenerational households,” Gustafson said. “It’s a growing trend for several generations of one family to live together under one roof, instead of the grandparents living separately in their own home or in a senior community.”