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Tiny House Movement

A New Standard of Living:

All around the United States, many individuals are beginning to become  part of the tiny house movement. Many factors can be seen as benefits when moving into a tiny home and changing to a more consolidated lifestyle. Since the tiny homes in this movement are so much smaller than the average house, the materials and land that are required to construct a tiny home are significantly less than the cost of producing larger homes[[|[1]]]. If a tiny home is built to a higher quality, the cost to heat, cool, and maintain the space is significantly less. The homes in this movement also require fewer resources when it comes to the construction of them, along with on-going maintenance as well. A major benefit that comes with choosing the tiny home lifestyle is the sense of community that can be built amongst the homeowners. Although, not every tiny home is built for a sense of community, many are built to escape from the hectic lifestyle the individual may be living[[|[2]]]. The tiny homes that are built in communities, are referred to as tiny house villages. These villages are based strongly on “community-minded” residents[[|[3]]]. On the other side of the spectrum, tiny homes are also built in rural areas for the utmost feeling of privacy. When it comes to choosing to become part of the tiny house movement, it really comes with a significant amount of choice. Homeowners have a sense of control, since there are so many options based on community, location, and even personal considerations.

Control and Ownership

The role of control and ownership potential plays a major role in the tiny house movement. Since tiny homes cost significantly less than larger homes and can be purchased without the added expense of purchasing land, it makes owning a home possible for many who otherwise could not own one at a higher cost. In the United States alone, there have been some key events of late that are seen as sparking the interest in the movement. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated thousands of people along the Gulf Coast.  Again, in 2007-2008, the economy came to a fall during a financial crisis in the United States[[|[4]]]. These two events, including the credit crisis between 2009 and 2011 where over 3 million homes were foreclosed on due to lack of income and inability to pay mortgages[[|[5]]], bring to light the reasons why individuals were beginning to become part of the tiny house movement and why there was a spark in the purchase of these tinier homes. After Hurricane Katrina, many families were left with no homes and most of their possessions were lost. When faced with a crisis like this, many of these people began to choose the tiny home lifestyle5. Owning a home after this natural disaster brought back a sense of community that was lost during the hurricane. During the time of the economic crisis that struck the United States, the tiny house movement brought back a sense of control and possession after so many lost huge parts of their life in the financial crisis⁵. During times when the world was struggling, and still is, tiny homes are a great way to bring back a sense of normalcy to lives.

Home Ecology in Tiny Homes

            Home ecology is the study of the relationship between humans and their natural, social, and built environments⁶. In the Berkshire Encyclopedia, Karen Christensen introduces environmentalism and sustainability as solutions to the global problems such as climate change, soil loss, and pollution[[|[6]]]. Through becoming a part of the tiny house movement, individuals are able to influence a change in the environment through their own practices at home and also at work. Individuals can take responsibility for their own actions by living in a tiny home; including saving water, energy, air, and waste⁶. The things that must be done in order to reach a sustainable lifestyle can be reached through the tiny house movement, although it may be an extreme level of sustainability. Sustainability is reached through individuals growing their own food due to the vast amount of land some tiny homes are built on, reducing energy consumption due to the fact that tiny homes use a significantly less amount of energy due to the smaller space, and also the removal of waste since many tiny homes do not have plumbing and therefore the waste is used to fertilize the land around them⁶.

Zoning, Codes, and Legal Issues

            During the decision time of choosing to become part of the tiny house movement, one of the first questions asked is, “Where can I live?”. When coming to an answer to this question there are various factors that must be considered; these include zoning, building codes, and other legal issues. Every region has its own specific zoning regulations and building codes; these can be found at the American Tiny House Association[[|[7]]]. A few places many consider when living in a tiny home is their own land, a backyard, an RV park, a tiny home community or eco-village, and even cities where there are already small homes that can be considered as a tiny house. A tiny house on wheels is considered to be an RV, while a tiny house built into a foundation is considered to be an accessory dwelling unit (ADU)⁷. Deciding to build a tiny home on wheels requires getting it registered as an RV in your state.  Registering the home as an RV requires it to meet the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) regulations of your particular state. In many states, a self-built RV must actually be inspected before the DMV will even issue a license plate⁷. Having detailed plans put together and pictures of each step along the way allows for a more swift process with the DMV. It is important to have information on the electrical and plumbing work in the home for the DMV⁷. There are guidelines for tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), requiring that it meet specific standards and is intended for use as a permanent residence. The purpose of these guidelines it to support the construction of safe and sturdy homes built on wheels. 

Tiny homes on a foundation have their own set of guidelines different from the tiny homes on wheels. In most regions, a building permit is not required for the building of anything under 120 square feet⁸. However, any structure less than 120 square feet is considered to be a shed or workshop and full-time living in such conditions is not generally allowed. In order to make the home a legal residence, the structure must be built in accordance with the region’s building codes⁸. Many states have adopted the International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings (IRC). These codes, however, vary significantly between regions. Even if the International Residential Code has been followed, an individual town or state could have its own building codes as well⁸. The IRC requires that no room (except for bathrooms and kitchens) can be smaller than 70 square feet and the ceiling height must be at least 7 feet[[|[8]]].  Zoning Codes tend to pose more of a problem to tiny house goers than building codes do. Many states have a minimum size requirement of 1,000 square feet or more for the construction of any home on its own piece of land. Each zone has a different size requirement. There are various books that can be used in research, such as Cracking the Code, that give insight into some of the challenges tiny house goers have come to and every region’s zoning and building codes can be found online through the states website⁸.

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[[|[1]]] Wyatt, Anne. “Tiny Houses: Niche Or Noteworthy?.” Planning 82.2 (2016): 39-42. Business Source Complete. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

[[|[2]]] Mears, Teresa. "Could You Survive in 150 Square Feet? The Lowdown on Tiny Homes." US News RSS. U.S News: World Report, 18 June 2015. Web. 29 Feb. 2016.

[[|[3]]] Greenspan, Elizabeth. "Are Micro-Apartments a Good Solution to the Affordable-Housing Crisis? - The New Yorker." The New Yorker. N.p., 02 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2016

[[|[4]]] "Tiny House Movement." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Nov. 2014. Web. 04 May 2016.

[[|[5]]] Bates, Christopher G., and James Ciment. "Housing Costs, Finance, and Affordability." Global Social Issues: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2013. 427-32. Print.

[[|[6]]] Christensen, Karen. "Home Ecology." Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability. Ecosystem Management and Sustainability ed. Vol. 5. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Pub. Group, 2010. 176-83. Print

[[|[7]]] Walker, Elaine. "Tiny House FAQs." Tiny House Community. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 May 2016.

[[|[8]]] Greenspan, Elizabeth. "Are Micro-Apartments a Good Solution to the Affordable-Housing Crisis? - The New Yorker." The New Yorker. N.p., 02 Mar. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2016.