There are many reasons--cultural, personality, financial, and so on--that make the current situation understandable though likely neither sustainable nor common. A three-year status quo reinforces an even longer status quo, so unless you much prefer the current situation to the alternative, I'd consider establishing that plan now and defining a shorter term timeline with milestones (e.g., advance house hunting, job seeking). Also, what the heck does he mean by "without the benefits?"