AMERICA: Government Prevents Tiny Homes from Being a Solution

It's true. Check out this article from the Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tiny-homes-20161014-snap-story.html

A few quotes from the LA Times story:

“There are so many roadblocks out there to selling them,” said Saenz, 75. “If they want to buy it, they don’t have the land. If they have the land, it’s not zoned for a tiny home. Or they don’t have enough cash.”

At first glance, the tiny home movement seems like a perfect multipurpose solution. Often priced at $50,000 or lower, they could be affordable to millennials burdened with student debt and baby boomers with skimpy retirement savings.

Above: Years of effort, thousands of hours, and so far, no "Tiny Home Village" in San Luis Obispo. Our government gives lip service to a tiny home village, but doesn't actually do anything to help make it happen - why? why? why? One possible answer: they already have a home, so tough luck for the poor and low income unfortunates. Also, the poor and the homeless don't vote, so why pander to them?  It's the "Let them eat cake" solution. Photo: "Cabin on Wheels" from HopesVillageofSlo.com

The LA Times story continues:

Travis Saenz of Adventure Cabins, a San Bernardino company that makes tiny homes, has had trouble selling the dwellings because of [government] zoning restrictions. 
Tiny homes usually range from 100 square feet to 400 square feet, but they can be as small as 80 square feet (think garden shed) or as large as 700 square feet (roughly a three-car garage). Home shoppers concerned about climate change like that lighting, heating and cooling a tiny house has a minimal impact compared to a more typical 2,000-square-foot house.

Tiny homes, according to a 2015 analysis by the Pew Charitable Trust, are “cheap and energy efficient,” but “lost in the enthusiasm is the fact that in many places, it is hard to live in them legally.”

Finding land is difficult, particularly in densely developed communities with strict zoning laws on the number and size of units allowed. Vacant land must be carefully investigated for back taxes and liens. In places like drought-stricken California, there can also be building moratoriums.

Most difficult of all, experts say, are laws in many cities and counties that mandate new single-family homes must be at least 1,000 square feet in size.

Many tiny homes are built on trailers, but that mobility can run afoul of local government restrictions on overnight parking or “camping” on one's own land for more than 30 days. Even in some places where indefinite camping is allowed, it can be rare to be allowed to install utilities.

Click Here to go back to "Tim Waag Blog" Home Page!