The Case for Tiny Homes - I researched and presented this at Fairfield County's Community Foundation on February 4, 2015. Local leaders that specialize in affordable housing attended the presentation and we then held a Q&A session.
Burning Issue presentation of Zhazgul N. , Cycle 54
The Case for Tiny Homes
1. Alison Riith
Tiny Home Presentation
2/4/15
1
Case for Tiny Homes
Housing costs are very high in Fairfield County – barrier for young people
Even if you can afford rent and live independently, the goal of buying a house in this
area can feel far out or reach
Many young people are moving away
o I’m 27 and a lot of my peers went out of state for college and stayed there
o I’m one of the few that went out of state and then moved back
This is a big problem for keeping young people in this area.
Tiny home movement is becoming popular in other parts of the country.
These are communities where individuals design and build their own small homes -
some are micro-homes of 100-200 sq. feet and others are small cottages of 400-800 sq.
ft.
o Anything under 1000 sq. ft. is considered a “tiny home”
Many of the homes are built with reclaimed/sustainable materials and are eco-friendly,
some are made from traditional materials, and some are built by re-purposing things like
shipping containers.
o Some tiny homes are built over a foundation and others are put on wheels and
then become portable.
There are many workshops and seminars that are being held around the country where
people can learn to build their own tiny home. Tiny homes are significantly less
expensive than traditional homes and some of the very small ones can be built for
$20,000-$50,000.
This is requires a departure from the traditional mode of thinking – “bigger is better” or
that achieving success means acquiring “status symbols” like a big house with a big
mortgage.
By offering this as an alternative housing solution, we can keep young people in Fairfield
County and offer a path to home ownership
Difference between tiny home ownership and traditional “affordable housing” is the
ownership piece that I think will help to create community.
This is an alternative to paying extremely high rent prices every month or taking on a
huge mortgage.
My dream is to build a small neighborhood of tiny homes in Fairfield County with
features that encourage community – for example, a community garden.
I believe that encouraging young people to design, build, and own their own tiny homes
will lead to more young people choosing to build their careers and lives here
Tiny Living: environmental consciousness, self-sufficiency, sound fiscal plans, life
simplification (source: http://thetinylife.com/what-is-the-tiny-house-movement/)
2. Alison Riith
Tiny Home Presentation
2/4/15
2
Challenges
o Many local zoning laws prevent these types of tiny homes from being built in this area.
Typically 500 sq. ft. is the minimum size. As of Aug. 2014 Spur, Texas is believed to be
the first place in the U.S> to allow homes smaller than 500 sq. ft.
o http://www.spurfreedom.com/ Spur, Texas
o As a result, many tiny homes are currently located in back yard, RV parks, or are
(illegally) on privately owned land
o One workaround is to build a tiny home on trailers/wheels and register it with the DMV
as a recreational vehicle
o Cost of land
o Deciding where to build – city/suburb or more rural
o Financing – both for building and purchasing
o Tiny home buyers – risk of small mortgages
Young people – higher risk borrowers due to shorter credit histories/other
debts like student loans
o Need to partner with a financial institution that would be willing to work with
young people and possibly offer a loan product specifically for tiny homes.
o Paradigm shift – the idea of choosing to live in a smaller space is contrary to the cultural
message that “bigger is better”
o Many people may be unfamiliar with this concept – I think we need to introduce
this idea to people and conduct further research to see if there really is interest
o May be a challenge to get residents in the broader community to embrace it
May be push back from local residents on “affordable housing” units
Concerns about “changing the neighborhood” or driving down property
values
3. Alison Riith
Tiny Home Presentation
2/4/15
3
Resources
The Tiny Life
http://thetinylife.com/
The Tiny Life is a resource for those
seeking information on tiny living
which encompasses simple living,
tiny houses, and environmentally
responsible lifestyles. We seek to
provide more than just information
on Tiny Houses, we aim to have
discussions on Living life…..Tiny!
So we refer to our site as a Tiny
Lifestyle blog.
Tiny House Northeast
http://www.tinyhousenortheast.com/
TINY HOUSES, OFFICES, HOBBY
SPACES & COMMERCE DESIGN-
BUILD.
TINY HOUSE BUILDERS FOR
NEW ENGLAND: NH, MA, ME, VT,
CT, RI & UPPER NY STATE
Tiny – The Movie
http://tiny-themovie.com/
One couple’s attempt to build a Tiny
House with no building experience
raises questions about
sustainability, good design, and the
changing American Dream.
Tiny House Conference
http://www.tinyhouseconference.com/
Annual conference where people
gather to learn how to plan and
build their own tiny homes
2015 – Portland, OR
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/pages/house-to-
go#cypress2
Offers “House to go” models and 23
different floor plans for tiny homes
and cottages
Tiny House Connecticut
https://www.facebook.com/tinyhouseconnecticut?ref=br_tf
Facebook community for people in
CT looking to network, share
knowledge and best practices in
building, creating and dreaming
their tiny houses.
Share information and resources
about workshops, meetups, etc.
4. Alison Riith
Tiny Home Presentation
2/4/15
4
Other Models
Boneyard Studios – Washington, DC Showcase of 3 tiny homes that model what an
urban tiny home community could look like.
Portland, Oregon San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington Boston, MA
Boise, Idaho
Spur, Texas First “Tiny Home Friendly” town in the US
Madison, Connecticut Dud’s Village – seasonal cottages
Utilities are only on April-November
Village Association w/ dues
adAPT, New York City Design competition in NYC – tiny apartments
RFP from the NYC Department of Housing
Preservation and Development
Micro apartments of 275 to 300 sq. ft were
selected by Mayor Bloomberg
335 East 27th Street
Focused on households of 1 -2 people to
keep young professionals living in Manhattan