The Trials of Tiny Homebuilding
Despite the fact that Eugene is seeing rising housing prices, we still make it difficult to build or live in housing other than standard single family homes or apartments. While our rules for building accessory dwelling units (which sometimes take the form of tiny homes) are somewhat better than some of the regulations outlined in this Strong Towns article, fees and permits can still costs thousands of dollars. And Tiny-Homes-On-Wheels fall into a legal limbo-- they are considered "camping" and while you can located them in a backyard, the property owner has no route to turn it into a legal, rent producing structure.
“Tiny homes are one way to increase housing options and improve affordability. They fit on small plots of land, consume low amounts of energy, and can be built fairly cheaply when compared with a standard single-family home.
However, they also present numerous zoning and regulatory challenges for the entrepreneurial spirits trying to build them. A recent article from Sightline Institute catalogs these challenges for tiny homebuilders in the Cascadia region of North America (primarily Washington, Oregon and British Columbia) as an example:”