Co-living solutions to global urban housing crisis held back by slow pace of regulatory change, U.S. and European market leaders conclude at inaugural New York summit

The fast-emerging “co-living” real estate rental sector could transform urban living in cities around the world that are becoming increasingly unaffordable for younger people struggling to get a foothold in residential markets, the Global Summit of the Class of 2020 think tank heard on Tuesday. But government housing regulations are failing to keep up with the pace of change and this is holding back innovation from co-living operators in developing accommodation for some of the most dynamic economic groups flocking to cities, such as students and creative professionals.

Entitled “The Future Is Blended,’” the summit brought together for the first time the leading co-living and student-accommodation brands in Europe and the United States to debate how the urban-living and residential-investment revolutions are converging at accelerating speed.

The speakers included executives from The Student Hotel, The Collective, Common, and Quarters, as well as es