"Sometimes in the waves of change,
we find our true direction."
Change is coming
Tiny Homes are future-forward concepts; they are affordable, have a low carbon footprint and are a progressive way to reduce materialism and embrace a simpler lifestyle. They are the solution the world and Vancouver Island needs, because the housing crisis is real, and homelessness is a growing problem for everyone.
Towns like Sooke never have enough money to build the community that pleases everyone. Established developers bring in lots of money, jobs and new homes. But for many of us, those homes will still be out-of-reach. On top of rising food and fuel expenses, what options are available for those of us who aren't wealthy? (And by wealthy, I mean those who can easily afford $350,000 as a purchase price or $1700 a month in rent for a one-bedroom apartment.)
If Sooke's real estate market continues to go in the direction it has in the last two years, we may start to lose a very valuable and thriving subset of our culture. We may lose the artists, musicians, writers, poets and sculptors who shouldn't have to hold down three jobs in order to do what they love. We may lose all the service people and essential workers who can't afford to live in the area or commute. And if this happens, we may just lose the compassionate heart of Sooke, in so many ways.
With affordable housing, so much more is possible.
I have been researching and following the tiny home movement for a while now, and it's impressive. This is a solution for the planet, for people who want to live smaller and better, and for landowners who are willing to embrace a better future for all. It's a brilliant solution that is staring us in the face, easily accessible and already proven in the world. All we have to do is remove the obstacles.
I don't understand why it takes so long to make things happen at a municipal level, let alone a federal one, but I'm willing to learn. If the obstacle is time, let's find it. If the obstacle is people, let's get more interested. If the municipality needs to tax tiny homes, please just make sure it's a fair tax, and let's get over that hurdle too.
It seems straightforward to me:
- Allow homeowners with a little extra land the opportunity to provide space for a private tiny home dweller.
- Allow large landowners to embrace tiny home communities on designated acreage, which will provide revenue for them, from land not used for anything else.
- Encourage parks and future residential developments to provide designated areas for temporary use of tiny homes, to help people who might otherwise be homeless and/or who are transitioning.
It takes a village . . .
There's no better time to be considering Tiny Home communities, if only in light of climate change and global economic uncertainty. Tiny homes are one of the most environmentally-friendly options for this century, using the least resources and optimizing existing ones.
I invite you to review the proposal I have been working on, available below as a PDF, and I welcome all input. I was asked to make it specific to the senior segment of our population, so I apologize in advance to any of you who would enjoy having families and children included. If we succeed with this one, we will encourage more and different models, and ours can learn from the ones that exist in nearby communities.
I also ask that you sign the petition at the link below, if you are willing to say that Tiny Home communities deserve a place here in the Sooke region. Your support will be invaluable in helping me prove that this is an idea whose time has come.
PETITION: TINY HOMES 4US
