As long as I am on the subject of marriage, I might as well go out on a limb.  Not only are young people moving in together, but so are older people--for a different reason.   Older retired people will lose a large part of their income if they remarry.

Our Churches have abdicated the institution of marriage to the state.  It was God who invented the concept of marriage in the first place--not the government.  The only reason the government got into it was for the money.  Part of Social Security income for one person vanishes if you remarry.  The state reclaims it.  Even though both people who want to marry paid for it their entire lives.  Which can be financially catastrophic for some older couples.

For Christians who have lost their spouses it is especially troubling.  They are on reduced incomes as a result of losing their spouse, and those incomes are for the most part fixed.  Marriage will reduce their income even further. And many times people will lose their health care if they remarry.   I would.  All of it.  (No, I am not interested in getting married.)

I personally think that churches should be more helpful and create a new ceremony for Christians.  A way to marry--exclusively within the church.  I think there is an good argument for our Churches to reclaim the institution of marriage.  Perhaps marriage for older retired people could be blessed by God's people, without interference from the government.

I know, this is a wild idea.  But older people leave the church because of this issue.  They don't want to face condemnation from fellow Christians just because they decided to jump over a broom.

I have probably stirred up a hornet's nest with my idea.  Marriage by God as it was in the first place.  Under the authority of  His church.  For Christians.  Those who aren't Christians don't have a problem moving in together.  They don't consider themselves accountable to God anyway.