At the top of the page I have added a link to “Join the Village,” a new website I’ve launched to connect people who are interested in aesthetically pleasing, low-cost community housing with small houses and tiny houses-on-wheels.
Wow, it’s hard to believe something that was just an idea has turned into a tangible reality in less than one week. So far we have 12 core “Charter Members” in this Tiny House Village Network, a group composed of people throughout the country who want to manifest this shared vision.
From Kate, who lives in a New York apartment complex and would like to own a tiny house someday, to Nancy, who lives in a cohousing community in North Carolina and is seeking a lower-cost housing solution, to Logan, who has been actively transforming his life (with his partner) to live in a tiny house, and keeps coming up against the barrier of: where can you park it? According to Logan, “Almost all of the areas we have looked at parking a tiny home explicitly forbid long term residence.”
If you identify with these folks, maybe it’s about time for you to join in the conversation as a Charter Member. I’ll be keeping my blog readers updated on our progress along the way. Thanks for all of your support and kind words.
(photo: Portland Garden Cottages of Upper Albina)
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d think you would need the group to purchase their own land in order to make it work.
Great idea! I have no doubt the idea will grow substantially as it gains exposure. Two thumbs up!
You need to think RV co-op with architectural controls. Municipalities understand the concept of RV park and there are lots of RV co-ops throughout the southern U.S. For support you might want to contact the Escapees in Livingston, Texas. This 30 year old group began as a support system for people who live full time in RVs and they own several co-ops so they know what hoops they had to jump through. Lots of their members have lived full time on the same lot for years with some of them building houses on their lots.
We are doing something similar in rural Western Oregon. in 1997 we bought 5 acres of rural forestland and meadow on a river with a 900 sq ft plain & shabby but functional 1950′s house. The house was gutted into a great-room and community kitchen and bath. The house is heated with a woodstove and there is a spacious music performance space. Five residents are scattered about the property living small handbuilt cabins and vintage Airstream and Spartan trailers that are in various states of restoration. Sanitary and laundry facilities are at the main house all spaces have wireless satellite internet. Though people sleep, create and work in them, the trailers and tiny cabins do not count as residences, having no sewers or water, electricity only), but the functional house keeps us legal as a homesite. We call the trailers “art studios”. and our property an ‘artist colony’. The residents here are all related by blood and marriage and long friendship. Make sure you know and care about anyone you choose to village with.
I’d like to join this village–at least in concept. We are tied to Denver for medical and job reasons, but we are going to build an accessible tiny movable house…
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I am sooo done with keeping up with the Bushes, Palins and Abdul ahhh Mohomads. After this health care vote, who knows where we will be in 10 years. I don’t want to take a chance of investing my money, so others can loose it. It is times to down size, live free and ride my Harley. I am done with “Living Large”. I am going back to living small (I am 6’4″, I will build to accomidate, Bubba Size).
I too, am in the process of downsizing. I have already gone from 1800 feet to 800 feet & want to now build a 150 foot tiny house on wheels. Currently I live in central California & need to stay near Santa Barbara for work. So far, I have not been able to locate a permanent place to park my “to be” tiny house. If anyone out there is aware of a location near Santa Barbara please let me know. I look forward to hear from all the tiny house enthusiasts.