Page 27 - Green Builder November-December 2018 Issue

TINY

HOUSE

FRIENDLY

TOWNS

The following locations
have NO minimum house
size, according to the
American Tiny House
Association:

■ Sarasota County, Fla.

■ Union Mills, N.C.

■ Newfield, N.Y.

■ Philadelphia, Pa.

■ Spur, Texas

SOURCE: WWW.TITANFACTORYDIRECT.COM Park model homes. Often purchased for seasonal living in an

RV park, they cap out at 400 square feet and are typically built
on trailers, like tiny homes.

continued from page 22 In most municipalities, education (schools and related costs)
wildre threatens or local zoning conditions become untenable, account for about “‘ percent of spending. Texas, for example,
owners have the option to pull up stakes and move somewhere spends about $Š‘,”‹• annually per student, according to the NEA
friendlier to right-sized living. Others are also pushing this idea: (https://bit.ly/LJpIa). If that metric is typically the primary
Code changes are in the works that may make a hybrid tiny house benchmark for approving new housing, you see why cities might push
possible (see “Fighting for Flexibility,” page ). back. In places where a—ordable housing is hard to nd, “one-o—” tiny
homes built on full-sized lots may be seen as poor use of valuable space.
THE MUNICIPAL MIND Urban planners like density and proximity, not scattershot development.
Advocates for tiny homes need to understand the priorities of policy In some communities, proposing a “village” of tiny homes on small
makers. Beseiged by taxpayers for every attempt to shift away lots may break through the policy barriers. Alternately, tiny homes
from “the way it’s always been done,” they tend to pick their ghts built in more rural areas can disappear into the local landscape.
carefully, taking the path of least NIMBY pushback. That path, for But the metric isn’t nearly that simple. Researchers on the impacts
better or worse, typically leads them to take sanctuary in the bottom of new housing development have found that larger homes, for
line. Whatever costs a lot of money gets pushed to the bottom of example, might appeal to larger families (introducing more students
the priority list. to educate). The current level of capacity in local schools also matters.
Property taxes, unfortunately, have become the primary nancial Educating students in schools with empty seats costs far less than
engine that pays for city services. And city services almost never go when classrooms are maxed out.
down in price. To determine tax rates, cities assess properties and As with any good housing plan, the key to social and nancial
assign a value. In some places, such as Texas, the formula is pretty viability is mixed use—a combination of multi-family, small-lot
simple: Multiply the appraised value of the property by Š.‹ percent. developments and “one-o—” single-family homes on individual lots.
So for a $Š‘‘,‘‘‘ home you pay $Š,‹‘‘ annually. A tiny home might For example, in Austin, a tiny home village is under construction. Village
appraise for $’‘,‘‘‘ or less. That cuts the potential property tax Farm (https://villagefarmaustin.com/) will include Š‹ agriculturally
haul to under $‹‘‘ annually. themed homes, many of which are a mere ’œœ square feet. GB

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