Tiny house villages could soon be big—really
big.
According to researchers at Kansas State
University, tiny house villages are environmentally friendly, they promote a
sense of community, they encourage healthy lifestyles and habits, and they're a
safe and affordable housing option for the masses. Forall of these reasons, the
experts are hoping that tiny house villages will spread across the country in
the near future, according to The Wichita Eagle.
Tiny homes, designated as abodes that clock
in under 1,000 square feet, don't make up much of the real estate market right
now. As of 2015, only one percent of home buyers wanted to live in a so-called
tiny home, according to the National Association of Realtors—but the Kansas
State researchers think this may soon change.
"We think [living in a tiny village]
does a few things for one's health," Julia Irwin, a researcher at the
university, explained, "including creating a better sense of community,
satisfying people's basic needs for relationships, offering affordable housing
options, and encouraging physical activity through community gardens and
walking to urban establishments."
Clearly, there are a lot of benefits to
living tiny, however zoning laws across the country have often hindered the
growth of tiny house communities. The guidelines set in many areas discourage
small houses—mainly mobile homes—because, among other reasons, they can be seen
by neighbors as "low class." But, experts believe that the growing
passion many have for these teeny properties will improve the way people
perceive them.
"Tiny houses have a different
connotation to them; they are typically seen as a middle or upper-middle-class
housing structure," said Irwin. The researchers plan to study specific
tiny villages in order to figure out how they can harness the trend and use it
to provide affordable housing options to those that need it. So the next time a
new housing development gets underway in your neighborhood, it may not be packed
with modern McMansions, but rather with a tribe of tiny houses.
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