Integrating tiny and small homes into the urban landscape: History, land use barriers and potential solutions

Abstract

There is growing interest in living in tiny and small houses in the United States of America (USA). However, in many urban communities, it is illegal to build such homes due to the current land use regulations. This article presents an overview of the land use policy barriers to tiny and small house integration, in addition to potential solutions. The article also examines how interest in tiny and small house living has evolved, and why it will likely continue to do so.

Exploring Tiny Homes as an Affordable Housing Strategy to Ameliorate Homelessness: A Case Study of the Dwellings in Tallahassee, FL

“…However, tiny home developments face obstacles, including housing market and land use policies oriented to favor the demands of the wealthy, such as establishing a minimum household size and limiting the number of dwelling units per parcel [53,54]. Zoning, land use codes, and building regulations are barriers that hinder higher density development in urban spaces [3,6]. Specifically, tiny homes are often considered accessory dwelling units (ADUs) or secondary units considered small dwellings that may reside behind a single-family residential property [55].…”

“…Evans [6] poses a framework for potential solutions to overcome barriers in tiny home community developments. The initial step consists of reconfiguring the social perception of small homes as undesirable, low-quality housing.…”

“…This, however, must be accompanied with flexibility of affordability, especially when these homes cater to low-income residents and homeless transitional programs. More importantly, Evans [6] emphasizes that shifting away from traditional zoning practices, increasing density, and lowering minimum lot requirements could create a legal pathway for tiny homes to enter American society's housing standards. Lastly, Talen [56] suggests form-based codes (FBCs) oriented to accommodate work/live environments and urban sprawl mitigation can provide sustainable design and/or practices to allow for more effective integration of mixed housing developments and increased density.…”

“…Tiny homes became mainstream as affordable housing alternatives when they were used as temporary shelters following Hurricane Katrina [2,3]. This affordable housing alternative was later used as a strategy to combat issues of homelessness throughout the United States [4][5][6]. With the decrease in the supply of affordable housing and more residents being cost burdened, or spending 30% or more of their income on housing, tiny homes are a popular trend not only to provide cheaper housing options, but also to offer traditional neighborhood designs that are sustainable and support minimalist living trends [7].…”

Resistance is fertile: exploring tiny house practices in Australia

“…While Shafer maintains that tiny houses are nothing new, his rustic tiny house on wheels (hereafter THOW) has since become recognised as the archetypical style for tiny houses in the public imagination. Following in the wake of a threefold crisis encompassing the GFC, the housing crisis, and deepening concerns over climate change, the spread of the tiny house movement is also argued to be a direct response to housing affordability issues and increasing housing unsustainability the excessive embodied energy, operational costs and environmental impacts involved with building conventional homes (Anson 2014;Boeckermann, Kaczynski, and King 2018;Negrin 2009;Evans 2018). Other motivations include a simplified lifestyle (Boeckermann, Kaczynski, and King 2018), mobile and flexible lifestyle options, a sense of community within the tiny house movement, and the creative selfexpression and sense of accomplishment a tiny DIY house build offers (Mutter 2013).…”