Overcoming Barriers to Tiny and Small Home Urban Integration: A Comparative Case Study in the Carolinas

Abstract

Although interest in tiny and small house living continues to grow, proponents of downsized living face a myriad of challenges, from restrictive land use policy to current lending and finance practices. Through a comparative case study, this article examines the crafting of tiny house policy in Asheville, North Carolina, and Horry County, South Carolina. The analysis has resulted in a better understanding of driving factors behind tiny house integration measures, challenges to accommodating tiny and small homes, stakeholder concerns, and best practices. The findings may aid planners and policy makers interested in accommodating tiny and small home infill.

Tackling Homelessness with Tiny Houses: An Inventory of Tiny House Villages in the United States

“…T iny houses have been growing in popularity in the United States (Dion 2015; Ford and Gomez-Lanier 2017; Evans 2018a; Harris 2018). There is no formal definition of tiny, but most advocates would assert they are roughly in the 400 ft 2 range, although much larger units have been included in the definition (Evans 2018b;Shearer and Burton 2019). Tiny houses on wheels are often synonymously associated with the term tiny houses, yet tiny houses can also be foundation built.…”

“…Tiny house villages for the homeless are increasingly springing up across the country as an innovative means of addressing homelessness (Figure 1). It is unclear what is precisely driving this movement, although it might be surmised that it is a result of the current trendiness of tiny houses in popular media paired with the recognition that they potentially offer an affordable housing solution (Finley 2003;Heben 2014;Mingoya 2015;Fowler 2017;Coleman 2018;Evans 2018bEvans , 2019. It is also unclear exactly how tiny house villages are being used to address homelessness.…”

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].…”

“…Morrison and Hammer [1] define tiny homes as any structure that is less than 400 square feet in area, excluding lofts. 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].…”

Innovative approaches to building housing system resilience: a focus on the Australian social and affordable housing system

“…In the US for example, Evans identifies zoning as a key issue for tiny housing. 'Three overarching methods of legally accommodating tiny and small homes in urban areas have been identified: as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), in tiny house-specific communities, and as urban infill among various other housing types (Evans 2018). She concludes with three recommendations to inform planning considerations, being: (i) emphasise affordability; (ii) consider the impact on property values potentially favouring 'tiny house-specific developments' over integration; and (iii) developing classification and regulation structures regarding 'tiny houses on wheels'.…”