World News for Students of English

04-09-2026 07:00

Houses are very expensive in Australia, so many young people cannot buy their first home. Because of high living costs, more generations are deciding to live together in one house.

Between 2016 and 2021, the number of families living this way increased by 22%. Grandparents are helping by rebuilding their homes or adding small houses in their backyards. This arrangement brings many benefits. Families save money, and parents get extra help with child care.

To help more people, industry experts want the government to change building rules. They want it to be easier for families to build small extra houses, called granny flats, in their backyards.

Difficult words: backyard (an open area behind a house, usually covered with grass or a garden), arrangement (a plan between people about how something will work or be), benefit (a good or helpful result of something).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.