Yes! Tiny homes are part of the solution for the current housing crisis that we are seeing across the nation. However, this does not mean that everyone should live in a tiny home. Minimalistic living is not for everyone, but it is for some. Love them or hate them, tiny homes are a rung on the ladder to easing the housing challenges that we are currently experiencing.
Currently there is far more demand for housing than there is supply. Tiny homes are a way to provide more supply in a relatively quick manner without causing more sprawl. They are a good way to take advantage of infill within existing communities as ADUs. The development of tiny home communities are less invasive than other types of developments.
When someone lives in a tiny home it frees up a standard home to be lived in by someone else. Each tiny home in a community is not only an opportunity for the owner but it also gives someone else an opportunity to have the housing that they want. This simple concept is the reason that tiny homes benefit everyone in a community.
I live in Livingston, MT, which is a gateway community to Yellowstone National Park. Our economy is driven substantially by tourism. The summers are the busy season for people coming to explore the area. This is the time of the year that many businesses are doing their best. But this year, businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. A quick walk around the downtown area will show many restaurants and shops closed or severely understaffed. One of the top reasons for the struggle is potential employees not being able to find a place to live. I talk to business owners on an almost daily basis that say they have potential employees, but they cannot find housing in this area. There are many positions in this community that remain unfilled because of the housing crisis.
If we do not address these issues in a diverse and creative manner my amazing community will ultimately implode on itself. This is why tiny homes may not be for everyone, but they benefit everybody.
