Tiny Houses for the Homeless: An Affordable Solution Catches On

I ran across this publication, yes! magazine, and their article while posting on FB. They indicate that, "For many years, it has been tough to find a way to house the homeless. More than 3.5 million people experience homelessness in the United States each year, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty."

The yes! magazine showed how communities in Oregon, New York, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin are now stepping up to the plate in dealing with their homeless population by creating some tiny-home communities.

The Quixote Village in Olympia, WA began as a camp and the community raised enough money to turn it into "Quixote Village".   It opened in 2013.

Amarillo, if you would like to learn more click on this link:

http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/tiny-house-villages-for-the-homeless-an-affordable-solution-catches-on

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Aging in Place in your Tiny Home

To tiny-home or not to tiny-home, that is the question.  

I have had the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of living in a tiny-home with hundreds of people during the last ten years, and among the more mature adults the statement is always, “I’m not climbing a ladder to get to my bed”.  

The older you get the more you realize that universal design and being able to age in place are at the top of the priority list when making a choice of a home; tiny-home or not.  

Because I now find myself in that older group, but still have the dream of living tiny on purpose, (and did I mention I have a BS Interior Design degree) I have made it my goal this year to design a line of tiny-size to park-size homes that will meet the physical and emotional needs of Baby Boomers and the generation that follows.

As a designer I begin with questions like -

·  Will the owner be a couple or a single adult?

·  Do they need separate sleeping areas or can they sleep together?

·  Do they need space for walking aids?

·  Do they need additional outlets in the bedroom, bathroom and living area for medical reasons?

·  Do they need a tub or a shower for bathing?

·  What hobbies need to be taken into consideration?

·  Do the owners love to cook or is a microwave all they use?

·  Do they have medications that require refrigeration?

·  Do they participate in juicing or eating fresh, creating the need for a larger refrigerator?

·  Can they navigate one step, but not a ladder or staircase?

·  Do they have a pet?

·  Will they be traveling with their tiny-home?

·  Will they be permanently parked on private land or backyard?

·  Will they be permanently parked in a private park?

You have to ask the same type of questions as when building a traditional home, and many more due to the limited amount space in a tiny-home. 

It all boils down to, what the owner is willing to live without, and what they deem as esential for quality of life.

If you are interested in building a tiny home of your own, but need help with the design and layout, I am here to assist: Linda Quiggle - designsforaqueen@gmail.com .
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Tiny House - What does that mean in 2016?

Tiny Houses have become such a big thing in our culture over the last decade that there are now specific labels to define what kind of tiny house you might be talking about. Here is a small lesson - 


 "Micro" can include anything from a pimped out "Tear Drop" trailer to a shed, a treehouse, or van camping. It is really "micro" in size, but still meant to at least sleep and eat in.



"Tiny" includes a couple of distinctions, those on wheels and those on a permanent foundation.

  

• "T.H.O.W. is a tiny house on wheels.  These can be structures built with traditional building materials, or they can be house-trucks, buses, or any other driveable or towable device that has had a conversion and are meant to be lived in.

A standard "Tiny House" would be any "Tiny" structure built on some type of permanent foundation, and typically no larger than 500 sq. ft.

"Small" is a small structure.  

• Larger than a tiny home and smaller than the traditional small single family residence of 1,000 sq.ft.
• Can include apartments and condos
• Can be cottages
• Can be container homes
• Can be cob design
• Can be dome structures
• And yes, it can even be a Yurt.

Hope you feel better prepared to have a discussion about "tiny homes".  Keep looking.  Keep Learning. Live small on purpose.

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Container Homes have hit the big time!

Container City - London!

Container City II

It is incredible that a large metro center like London, England has embraced such an "outside" the proverbial box method of meeting some of their housing and commercial needs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa2p_ux8ER0&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

BBC Broadcasting Offices

Medical facilities, schools, worship centers, offices, restaurants . . . 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hou5_w60Lew

Hornimans School

What a creative way to Reuse-Repurpose-Recycle a box.






Come on Amarillo, TX - It's time to start offering some affordable living and working solutions.  (Oh yes, and trendy and smart looking too.)

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Linda Quiggle holds a BS of Interior Design and and MBA in Marketing.  She currently works and lives in Amarillo/Canyon , TX

Also Follow Linda Quiggle on: www.facebook.com/findinghomesforaqueen