Not everyone wants to go big.
Some just want to go home — and that could be a tiny home that is cost-effective and eco-friendly.
These scaled-down dwellings are sprouting everywhere around the world. By 2026, the global tiny homes market is expected to grow by $3.57 billion, according to the market research company Technavio.
Chicago, however, has been a bit slow in warming up to this housing trend. But after a few false starts, the city finally seems to be serious about building tiny homes, as the Sun-Times David Roeder reports.
It’s a promising sign, though there are still very few details as to what kind of project the city’s proposed pilot program would entail.
What we do know is that city-owned land would be used and federal pandemic assistance money, set aside for Chicago’s recovery, would cover the costs. Mayor Lori Lightfoot also earmarked $3 million in her 2023 budget for the tiny homes pilot.
While some tiny homes owned by posh minimalists end up in the pages of Architectural Digest, there are more bare-bones dwellings for those who just want an affordable living space. Cities across the country have also been looking to the tiny house movement as a solution for homelessness.
Brien Cron, president and founder of the nonprofit Chicago Tiny House Inc., is hoping city officials will consider the latter and organizations like his when they sift through requests for proposals.
Tiny houses aren’t necessarily a magic bullet to get those who are homeless back on their feet and eventually find permanent housing. But they’ve proven to be better than shelters at helping the homeless population in the San Francisco Bay Area move toward that goal, according to a recent analysis by the San Jose Mercury News.
In a city like Chicago, where winters are far more brutal than in California, tiny homes would certainly be a better alternative to the tent cities we’ve seen mushroom in public spaces like Touhy Park and at Roosevelt Road by I-94. Residents could have their own space and wouldn’t have to worry about their safety.
A tiny homes village with affordable units and a complex for those who have been living on the streets is a novel idea worth exploring to help the less fortunate.
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