Saturday, April 10, 2010

Sweet Tiny Homes

Yes, more sweet, tiny, extremely low-cost, low-maintenance homes. But people of low-income need not apply.

Am always on the lookout for a tiny place of my own, with a bit of land to grow my own food. Most recently, I inquired about a fifth wheel already on-site in a mobile home park about one and a half hours north of here.

As I've written elsewhere, there's no shortage of great ideas that would, if there were the political will, address the housing shortage virtually overnight. Daphne's Caravans is just one tiny part of the rapidly growing global tiny house movement.


Many of the tiniest of these tiny dwellings haven’t a washroom or toilet, although most do have a range and kitchen sink. Were it possible to get government to free up land or for private developers to be given the incentive, block neighbourhoods or tiny villages could be created of these tiny homes; and all built using recycled or scavenged materials. They’d surround communal food gardens and a commons building containing washrooms, laundry, recreational and exercise facilities, and a kitchen for community meals.

Such developments could be built along the lines of the co-housing principle (not the same as co-op housing). However in this case, the goal would be to make the living spaces cheap enough that anyone, even those living in the lowest decile of income, could afford their own tiny place.

I’ve yearned for a tiny cabin or trailer all my life, a place just like one of those tiny caravans and where I and my furry animal companions can live in peace. One hundred square feet would be ample for me. However, at age 60, I doubt I’ll realize that dream.

Our politicians, all the way from local to federal, lack the courage of vision.

2 comments:

Kim said...

I share your dream, Chrystal. I'd like to see shipping containers utilized too. But how to get the land base? Too bad the government gives the west side of the island as corporate welfare.

Caravan Site Northern Ireland said...

I wish that someday it will be a dream come true. And hope that it will be not too late.