Tiny House Communities Development

For many finding affordable accommodation in a large city at most times can be difficult. The City of Calgary has created affordable housing projects to help individuals and families find affordable, safe, and stable homes. However, these accommodations are on a rental basis and doesn’t account for those interested in owning their own affordable properties. Many of these people move towards purchasing mobile homes which they have to place in a mobile home park. They still have the extra cost of paying pad rent and no assurance that their home has a permanent location.

Tiny house communities (aka mobile home parks) seem to be one approach the city has not considered as affordable housing. This is obvious by the elimination of the Midfield Mobile Home Park because the city didn’t want to invest in replacing the aging sewage and water infrastructure. After being promised that there would be no cost to the homeowners and they would have a new park to move to, they were forced to move out with a minimum moving cost expense and no place to move to.

Several park residents took it to the courts and got the Sept. 30^th eviction stayed until a Nov. 22 hearing. Now, that most of the 183 homes have been moved, the city has the opportunity to redevelop the mobile home park and revive the affordable housing community that existed. Since these decisions will be made after the election, the new city council may look at preserving and creating affordable tiny house communities. The city needs to add new zoning bylaws where people can buy small lots at a ¼ of the price of regular city lots and allow for the placement of tiny, mobile, and manufactured homes. This gives homeowners the security of knowing they can stay put.

The lifestyle of the last century is changing on the way people live. Minimalism is a movement that is evolving into the preferred way of living. Not having the burden and stress of having to much is what the new generation is looking for. They are looking at ways to minimize the cost of accommodations and spending more on living. Current laws, rules and regulation don’t reflect that and hinder the development of affordable housing for many. Building codes also need to be altered to allow for the existence of tiny house communities. Minimum room sizes and building size specifications do not conform well to a tiny house layout.

There are many places adjusting slowly to allowing tiny house communities (THC). City council should look at some of these THC and see the benefits of tiny house living. Many cities have developed tiny house communities for the less fortunate that have helped the homeless creating communities out of transient camps. It makes more sense to develop housing that many can afford instead of places that stress families out. To much stress leads to burnout and affects one’s mental state.

Tiny house communities can have a tremendous positive affect on a city’s infrastructure. The higher land density allows the city to collect additional taxes and tiny houses have a smaller ecological footprint reducing the stress on city infrastructure. Heating and cooling a tiny house is less expensive and less energy is expelled maintaining the yard, not to mention the free time not wasted taking care of it. There is also less expense and time spent on maintaining the residence freeing up more leisure time.

If you are looking forward to more affordable accommodations in the city, then do something to make a difference. In this election vote for those who support tiny house communities. Start a campaign to developing tiny house communities and changing the laws so we can easily adapt tiny houses into our communities easily and cost effectively. Leave us a comment on your views on tiny house communities and inform Calgary your opinion.