Living Tiny Legally
Channel: JMU ISAT
Date: 02/07/2017

Full Title: Living Tiny Legally by Hollyn Busby and James Rollin
Advised by: Dr. Steven Frysinger
Abstract: The average home size in the U.S. increased 61% since 1973 to over 2600 square feet. In that same time period there was a 91% increase in home square footage per inhabitant and a decrease in average household size. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average home in the United States costs approximately $358,000 to build, an increase of roughly $200,000 since 1998. Meanwhile, the average annual income in the United States has remained unchanged for the last several years, at approximately $52,000. As costs increased, U.S. home ownership rate fell to the lowest in more than 50 years, since 1965, down to 62.9% in the second quarter of 2016. These trends have created a dire need for affordable housing. This project addresses the problem while proposing tiny houses as a solution which follows the triple bottom line. This is an economic model that focuses on economy, ecology, and equity as the dimensions of success. Tiny homes are sustainable as they are more energy efficient and require less materials. Technology such as passive solar design, high R-value insulation, or energy star appliances can drastically reduce energy costs. Depending on the size, tiny homes use only 10% of the lumber as a traditional home. The cost of a tiny home is comparable to the down payment of a traditional single family home. A typical down payment on an average-sized house is $72,000, whereas the cost of new construction for a 200 square foot tiny house can be as low as $35,000. Socially the tiny lifestyle promotes a greater sense of community, more socio-economic accessibility, and the benefits of minimalism. This project takes all of these principles and applies them to examine the feasibility of implementing tiny homes within the Harrisonburg area.