A tiny home is defined as a home that is less than 500 square feet, and mobile. In the United States, Robin Burger told a group of people gathered at the Bowen Housing Network’s second official event, 68% of tiny-home owners are mortgage free and 58% are women. Such homes are technically legal on Bowen, she added, as long as they are fixed on a foundation, and if the detached secondary suite bylaw is passed, a property owner will be able to build one alongside their regular house.
What the people gathered seemed to really want to know was what it would take to build a cluster of tiny homes on one property.
“We’re interested in the shared purchasing of land and building, a ‘not trailer park,’ a tiny homes park,” said Basia Lieske.
Kim Brooks, co-owner of Hempcrete Natural Building Ltd., noted that the barrier to this vision is that even with the detached secondary suite bylaw there will be a maximum of two homes allowed on each property.
“You can’t build a bunch of tiny homes on three acres.That is prohibitive and works against our best interests,” she said. “Why not regulate the amount of square footage allowed on a piece of land, instead of the number of houses?”
The discussion led to sewer and water, their cost and the fact that the regulations surrounding them do not always make sense.
Alternatives, such as rainwater harvesting, grey-water systems and composting toilets are all viable and used in much of the world, the group determined, but regulations need to be changed to bring them into use here.
“There are ways to get around these regulations,” said Brooks. “But I’m tired of loop-holes, I want to change policy.”
The group, as a whole, seemed to come to the consensus that the barriers to affordable housing options on Bowen need to be identified, and overcome.
“That’s a great objective for this group,” said Bowen Community Housing Network founder Robyn Fenton. “I would love for this group to start the YIMBY movement: Yes In My Backyard.”
