COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cameron Johnson found himself with limited options for places to live, and he decided to return home. 

What You Need To Know

  • Cameron Johnson found out his rent would go up more than $100 if he renewed 

  • Average rent in Columbus is more than $900

  • According to a Pew Research Survey, nearly one-third of Americans between 25 and 29 live with their parents

  • According to the Franklin County auditor, the median sale price for a home in May 2022 was $280,000

A typical morning at the Johnson house means getting up early, getting ready for work, making a nice breakfast and having a morning father-son conversation to start the day.

Clyde Johnson is a father of three and has always put his family first. He worked hard to prepare his boys for the real world, but now that world is too expensive. His youngest son, Cameron, moved to an apartment in downtown Columbus during the pandemic. A little over a year later, he found out that his rent would go up a little more than $100, which forced him to regroup.

“I can't afford this lifestyle,” said Cameron. “I only make so much money, and paying $1,100 in rent, $100 to park, plus utilities, it was just getting out of hand so I reached out to my parents, and asked what they thought about this idea of me moving back home."

According to a Pew Research Survey, nearly one-third of Americans between 25 and 29 live with their parents.

 

This is widely due to student debt, caregiving and rising costs of apartments and homes. When Cameron crunched the numbers with his parents, they were shocked to see how costs have almost quadrupled since the 80s. Clyde said having Cameron home is mutually beneficial.

“Our 60s are coming up, and she’s had ankle surgeries and leg problems, and I have health problems, and it was a blessing in disguise for him to come back home and help his parents out and help himself out,” said Clyde. 

 

Cameron moved back home a little over two months ago and has begun to look into homes, but the housing market is no better. According to the Franklin County auditor, the median sale price for a home in May 2022 was $280,000, which was a 19% increase from April 2021. Cameron said he’s stuck at home until further notice.

 

“I was potentially looking into homes to see if there was anything I could do there, and the renting price was $1,400, $1,500, and I can’t afford that,” said Cameron. “It's just been really tough right now.”

 

Experts said the housing crisis could go into the better part of 2023. Clyde said that having Cameron come back home at least gives him a chance to reenter the world on his own terms.

 

 

“Right now, you young guys and young people of America, you’ve got no options,” said Clyde. “They’ve taken your options away from you, so he’ll have plenty of options to do any and everything that he wants to do and live the life that he wants to live.”

 

Cameron plans to stay home for at least the rest of the year. He said he’s looked at relocating to another state or city, but rent and housing prices have inflated across the nation. The Columbus Coalition on Rent Control is trying to introduce rent cap legislation, but is in the very early stages, and there have been concerns that a rent cap could deter developers from building or renovating new homes.