Tiny Homes Growing Industry

Tiny homes are the "it" alternative housing of late.

With mainstream presentation on HGTV and tiny home festivals popping up across the country,  builders are facing high demand for the minimalist dwellings.

News this week out of Kansas City highlights just how useful and necessary this style of home is, with the construction of a "Veterans Village."

Mark Solomon, co-founder of the Veterans Community Project, said "it's amazing what you can put into 240 square feet." 

On a five acre lot, eventually 52 tiny homes, consisting of a kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom, will stand. There are plans for a community center that would offer legal, counseling, and job skills training services to the vets, but funding for the project will dictate the timeline for completion.

"When you're in the US military, it's all about serving, giving of oneself for the greater good," explains Jeffrey Penfield, who served 30 years in the Navy. "And that doesn't stop when you put the uniform away."

The objective here, to provide a safe, personal space for homeless veterans to recharge and reestablish themselves, is a beautiful suggestion to address the rampant homelessness in the population of former service men and women.

If the news bulletins, television series, and Pinterest posts of these >400 foot abodes have piqued your interest, the Tiny r(E)volution organization has announced a festival in Pink Hill for spring 2017.

Susan Myers, a founding sponsor in the festival and community leader in Pink Hill, notes that there is interest in constructing a tiny home neighborhood in the area. "Tiny house is not about square footage but about a way of life," Myers says. "It's about being able to life debt-free while owning your home and living below your means while being mindful of your effect on the environment."

Most tiny houses do not have plumbing, electricity, or running water. Some are made to use solar power and take the owner off the grid. "We don't have all the asnwers yet," Myers says. "We are hoping to bring a master planner in to help decide where to put this community."

Tiny home "pioneers" like author Dee Williams, and TV host Derek Diedriksen will attend the Tiny Home N.C. Street Festival in Pink Hill this coming April.