What We Can Learn from Tiny House Communities

A recent study by Linked In found that the average college graduate would have gone through at least four jobs during the first decade after graduating from college. Younger generations such as Millennials are even more likely to “job-hop” as one out of every five people from this generation reported switching jobs during 2016. It is more customary for younger people to change jobs more often than older generations who are established in their careers. There has been a definite change in job stability affecting younger generations. A college degree used to lead into a forty-year career that made it economically sensible to settle into a place and take on the thirty-year mortgage. The volatility of today's job market, along with the increasing requirements of worker mobility, has also fundamentally changed how younger generations approach housing.

Patterns suggest that younger people continually travel in search of job opportunities. A tiny home on wheels allows people to become homeowners without being tied to areas with a lack of job security. Tiny house communities have been popping up around the country in recent years to offer an affordable, community-oriented housing alternative for younger generations. In this article, we review three tiny house communities in North America.

The Village of Wildflowers, North Carolina

Just outside of Asheville and in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, The Village of the Wildflowers is an aptly-named tiny house community that has a unique vibe. This community was founded on the premise that “smaller is smarter” and offers a variety of unique benefits. From a newly renovated clubhouse to a swimming pool and pickleball court, to a state-of-the-art fitness facility and yoga room, this tiny house community has the feel of a permanently lived-in country club.

The Village is continually expanding with four different phases of development. They have several different tiny homes for sale and for rent, with prices ranging between $99,000 and $160,000, making their tiny homes much more affordable than regular housing. Each tiny home comes complete with electric, water, and sewer hookups.

The Village of Wildflowers operates as a sort of land trust, wherein each resident pays a minimal land lease fee to the association of around $500 per year. This lease payment allows the community to offer a tiny home experience that is completely turnkey. The site for the tiny home comes completely furnished with paved roads, driveways, and ready-to-use hookups for sewer, water electricity, and heating and air conditioning. Once a resident is moved in, the community (through the lease payments) cover the costs of:

• Real estate taxes
• Water and sewer
• Cable TV
• Road maintenance
• Snow removal
• Common area maintenance, and
• Trash removal and recycling

These fees also include the amenities mentioned above, including the pool, clubhouse, gym and yoga room, etc.

Many young homeowners might find the cost of land prohibitive. Through these land lease agreements, The Village of Wildflowers makes it affordable and economically feasible for young and first-time homeowners. This land lease organization deepens the sense of community and collective responsibility towards the shared areas that everyone in the community uses.

Green Bridge Farm, Savannah, Georgia

A couple of hours south of The Village of the Wildflowers in Effingham County, Georgia, Green Bridge Farm. It is a well-established tiny house community that incorporates several elements of sustainable living. The community is comprised of 25 wooded acres of beautiful forests with a large organic farm serving as the centerpiece of the community. The individual lots measure between 1.2 and 1.6 acres and are nestled serenely amongst the existing forests. 

The communal areas for the community include four acres of organic vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. While working the land is not obligatory, the four-acre farm gives residents access to land where they can participate in growing their own organic food.

This sustainable community has several “covenants” that residents adhere to in order to maintain an environmentally respectful neighborhood. These agreements include:

• A maximum of 10% loss of woodland when constructing tiny homes
• LEED guidelines suggested for new home construction
• No chain link fencing to separate the community, and
• all house and site plans must be submitted to the neighborhood for prior approval. 

The bylaws for this sustainable tiny home community don’t only allow for affordable housing in a beautiful, natural setting, but also encourage a sense of community. They also offer community spaces where people can work the land together. Green Bridge Farm brings people together to foster a shared sense of responsibility for the ecological integrity of the land they share.

Sprout Tiny Homes, Salida, Colorado

Tiny home communities aren’t only for younger people looking to become first-time homeowners. Sprout Tiny Homes is a company that is currently developing two tiny home communities in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Salida, Colorado is a top retirement spot due to the beautiful mountain surroundings and benign weather throughout most of the year. With over 200 tiny rental homes between 260 and 760 square feet, this tiny home community might be the perfect option for a simple (and affordable) retirement spot.

In nearby Walsenburg, Colorado, Sprout Tiny Homes is also developing a community of 33 tiny homes with prices starting at just $60,000. This community has a suburban feel to it, but without the massive, expensive, and environmentally unfriendly McMansions. The Walsenburg Tiny Home Community will also feature several retail spaces in order to foster a sense of a “walkable community”. The community in Walsenburg is conveniently located behind the public library and within a short walking distance to a new organic grocery store. Both communities will also have several shared community spaces and amenities, including fitness centers and green spaces.

The focus on “live and work” communities such as those being constructed by Sprout Tiny Homes is a major element of sustainable livelihoods. By building tiny homes that are energy-efficient and also located within walking distance of town life, there is a reduced need for cars and a greater sense of community.

Article by:

Tobias Roberts

Tobias runs an agroecology farm and a natural building collective in the mountains of El Salvador. He specializes in earthen construction methods and uses permaculture design methods to integrate structures into the sustainability of the landscape.