Tiny

I'm just wild about these ultra small homes. I wholeheartedly applaud the Tiny House Movement BUT I feel pretty damn certain that places like Bestie Row, located just outside Austin, Texas are just weekend/summer house hamlets versus year round set ups.

I get it. Tiny Homes are a fabulous alternative for those who are financially comfortable but not so much so that they can swing a full size second home (where that's desired). Having a micro cottage is a lot less expensive to own and maintain AND it beats the hell out of paying for pricey vaca house rentals and hotels.

Similarly, for most owners of Smart Cars, it's a second set of wheels, used for commuting, errands and such. Smart’s are inexpensive (as far as new vehicles go), have a low carbon footprint (yes even the gas powered ones) and require little upkeep. BUT a two seater’s just not big enough for a lot of folks to use as their main/only transportation (it’s def enough for The Amazing Bob and I though). Same/same with dwellings.

Lauren Modery at medium.com has an hilarious and spot on letter/post up: Dear People Who Live In Fancy Tiny Houses—Do you ever wake up wondering, “I’ve made a huge mistake”?

Never fear—for those who've found that, no, they just can't strip down their lives to fit 500 or fewer square feet of living space there are options.

• You can put that designer cottage in the backyard and use it as office, workshop or studio space.
• It can be a play room for the kids—they can get as loud as they want in there.
• Once your teen’s gotten too annoying to have in the house full time, you can give them their own separate but close-by digs. 
• You can rent it out. Income!
• Or if you’re one of those homeschooler types, you can use it as a classroom. 

See, loads of uses. Waste not, want not and shit.

Paring down to fit into a 400 square foot space would be hard for us but I imagine we could do it. Pre-TAB, I lived in a 365 square foot studio apartment. I was fine with that though I always kinda longed for a separate bedroom. At this point, for the two of us, it'd be a challenge.

Our Valhalla bungalow is, approximately, 900 square feet. I'd need to let go of a lot of things—like my rather large desk which belonged to my grandfather. I don’t know that my gryphon, guarding our front door, would fit in a Tiny House. What about my painting studio? Would my paintings need to get tiny too? Yes, without doubt.

I've gotten tired of seeing the chic, designer, trendy wee cottages. They're way cool but, clearly, intended for upper income brackets. There’s a movement afoot, though, to make Tiny House communities for the homeless. Awesome!

Random morning shot

Community First Village is such a development and it’s in Austin—not so very far from Bestie Row. It’s built on a 27-acre patch of land and consists of tiny houses, mobile homes, teepees and refurbished RVs.

Supporter Alan Graham, of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, notes that the price of not housing these folks costs taxpayers about $10 million a year, not to mention the emotional and psychological tolls on the homeless themselves.

Community First! Village is a 27-acre master-planned community that will provide affordable, sustainable housing and a supportive community for the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas.

There’s also a three-acre community garden, chapel, medical facility, a workshop, B&B and an outdoor movie theater. Tremendous!

In Sonoma, California there’s another tiny house village in the works. Some details here.

In Madison Wisconsin there’s Occupy Madson Village:

A project of Occupy Madison, OM Village is a tiny house village for the homeless currently in the building stage with the first four houses nearing completion. In addition to providing housing, there are plans for community gardens, an Occupy Madison store, a day labor program and more.

Second Wind Cottages in upstate New York is nowhere near as posh as the Community First Village in Austin BUT it’s a start.

More of this please!