Downsizing: What’s driving the tiny home trend?

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Amid a nationwide housing affordability crunch and an explosion in homelessness, a modest solution: tiny homes. Reporter Jack Moulton takes a look at what they’re good for, why they’re not always a good fit, and what’s being done locally.

WHAT ARE TINY HOMES?

A tiny home is a smaller, private, self-contained home, operational year-round and complete with living, eating, sleeping, and washroom facilities.

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Tiny homes can be built on-site, factory built, or even mobile but the designation does not include campers, RVs cottages, or other seasonal homes.

The exact size can vary from a studio-style of about 18 square metres (200 square feet), to one or two bedrooms units. The Ontario building code sets out a minimum building size of 17.5 square metres (188 square feet).

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TINY HOMES?

Affordability is the big advantage, given the small space, cheaper construction costs and low upkeep. Many are operated as shelter spaces or affordable housing by non-profits and social agencies.

Tiny homes also can fit on smaller parcels of land, where other housing units may not be possible.

Even if not operated as affordable housing, the homeowners have dipped their toe in the pond with laneway homes, and garage or basement units.

WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE?

Mike Wallace, executive director of the London Development Institute, said though private-sector builders have an interest in tiny homes, they’re not viable without help.

“It’s really the land, the cost of land, not the availability,” he said. “That private sector land might not be an option, but are there public lands . . . that might be able to utilize this type of housing?”

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Most tiny home projects have some sort of government subsidy, since the returns from rents or purchases can’t cover the cost of construction or land fast enough, Wallace said.

London also will have to define more clearly its regulations around tiny homes, Wallace said, including zoning and planning rules.

Politicians have pointed out higher-density buildings such as an apartment building, provide a far better bang for the buck, especially on the  water, sewer and cable hook-up side.

WHERE HAVE TINY HOMES BEEN BUILT?

Just last week, both the federal and provincial governments announced a $2.4 million in funding for a 40-unit tiny home neighbourhood in St. Thomas.

The project, complete with support services run by the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin, is estimated to cost more than $14 million.

Micro-homes also were constructed almost two years ago on Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, and Kitchener has seen both shelter and market-rate tiny homes.

HOW IS LONDON DOING?

London has made some progress with tiny homes of differing varieties. Several companies already are offering modular or site-built units that can be dropped on an existing lot.

Last year saw the debut of pop-up shelters at The Unity Project building, and in September a 20-unit project for veterans was announced.

In October, politicians endorsed having a working group of real estate, development, and construction partners investigate the feasibility of “quick communities” on city lands, including tiny homes and “sprung shelters,”  such as those used in field hospitals.

jmoulton@postmedia.com

@JackAtLFPress

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