Tiny House Havens

While the tiny house movement has still not benefitted from national or widespread zoning and regulations to make this housing alternative completely legal, several cities, counties, and states have embraced the tiny house alternative. Instead of focusing on the sometimes-archaic zoning regulations, these groundbreaking regions discover that the benefits of tiny homes outweigh any potential disadvantages. Increasing housing availability for low-income residents, fighting against homelessness, attracting new residents and sources of revenue, and providing their residents with more overall freedom are just a few of the many benefits of the tiny house movement from a local government perspective. 

Fresno, California, recently approved tiny houses on wheels as backyard cottages. In Colorado, the town of Walsenburg amended the zoning regulations for homes between 120 and 600 square feet. But, perhaps the most exciting example of tiny house havens occurred in Rockledge, Florida. In this small town, citizens interested in tiny house living led an initiative to change zoning regulations. This initiative is that today, two zoning districts make it completely legal to live in tiny houses on wheels and foundations. 

The experience in Rockledge shows that as more and more people become seriously interested in tiny homes as a viable housing alternative, citizen-led initiatives can change zoning regulations to allow tiny house neighborhoods to pop up around the country. As it currently stands, one study found that California, Oregon, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida were the five states that had zoning laws most tolerant and accepting of tiny homes. 

It is also worth noting that tiny homes on wheels can be registered as recreational vehicles or RV. Without a foundation, you will only need to find a place to park your RV. While you might be able to park your house in the driveway or backyard of a friend or family member, you could also search for RV parks that are welcoming of tiny homes on wheels. You can find information on how to register your tiny house as an RV here.

A Few Loopholes that Currently Exist

As with any innovation, loopholes are going to exist until the idea becomes more mainstream. With tiny homes, the grey area around zoning and regulations means that you can find several ways to live in your tiny home, even in areas without specific zoning regulations directed towards tiny homes. Below are two loopholes that you might be able to make use of if you cannot find another way to live legally in the tiny home you love. 

• Temporary Urbanism: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a unique term called temporary urbanism. The basic idea is that several downtrodden urban properties are abandoned and in disuse. The economic cost of tearing down or renovating these urban areas might not be economically feasible at the moment for many investors, so city officials often lease out these areas (often at no cost) to a wide range of civic organizations such as community gardens, pop-up stores, restaurants, and wheels, and farmers markets. You could potentially sub-lease a small area in an urban area for your tiny home on wheels and get a free place to stay while also participating in improving downtrodden urban areas. 
• Build an ADU on Friend´s Land: Many local zoning laws allow for ADUs, or accessory dwelling units. While most of these housing structures are geared towards offering a livable area for caregivers, you might be able to register your tiny home as an ADU and live on a friend’s land legally.