Tiny
Houses
What does this
mean for our
communities?
KRCC Housing Advisory Team
Kitsap County: Commissioner Charlotte Garrido
City of Bainbridge Island: Council Member Val Tollefson
City of Bremerton: Mayor Patty Lent
City of Poulsbo: Mayor Becky Erickson
City of Port Orchard: Mayor Tim Matthes
e.g.
Zoning?
Fire Code?
Incentivize?
Knowledgeable
Resources
Elected Officials
Local
Government
Staff
Citizen
Advocates
Local Building &
Planning Staff
A Discussion
within Our Community
and
Look Who’s Here!
Building
Community
Housing
Authorities
Social Service
Agencies
Why Tiny Houses?
Average Home Size
1,780 square feet
(1978)

2,479 square feet
1973
1987
(2007)
“Getting away from it all”
1997 The Not So Big House
Sarah
Susanka
Architectural & social
movement
Living simply
In small houses
But what are Tiny Houses?
Micropod
Tiny House
Micro
Housing
Park Model
Home
Cottage
Housing
Accessory
Dwelling Units
32 ft2
80 – 999
100 – 400
117 – 874
43 – 107
100 – 200
220 +
Key design factors:
 Built to RV specs or …
 Anchored vs. Wheels
Assembled vs. Pre-fab
Wikipedia
Tiny Life.com
Tumbleweed Tiny Houses
n/a
No kitchen
Kitchen City of Seattle
< 400
RV reqs, moveable,
tie-downs
800 – 1100
Design guidelines,
Clustered
< 3000
Co-located, Accessory use
What’s the Cost of Tiny Homes?
Under 400 ft2
RV rules
$60,000 - $80,000
Up to 200 ft2
$30,000 - $40,000
With shared kitchen
Up to 200 ft2
Kit w/ optional install
$4,000 - $14,000 (kit) +
Optional Install
200 ft2
Shipping Containers
$29,000 - $36,000
130-172 ft2
DIY/Plans → Kit →
Fully Assembled
$60,000 (custom)
$15,000 (partial build)
$6,000 (DIY)
Offers financing
100 ft2
Very modern
$23,000 - $28,000
($42,400)
Custom features
(off-grid)
98 ft2
Volunteer labor
$5,000
12 on order
today
Sold 50 in a year
Who wants Tiny Houses?
Empty Nesters Aging in Place
Vacation
Homes
New
Homeowners
Income Challenged
Farm Workers
Guest
Cottages
Retired
Couples
Studios
Young People
Young People wanting
“off the grid”
Young
Boomerang
Professionals
College Kids
People Who Are Homeless
Where are Tiny House Villages &
Communities?
New
Zealand
What are Challenges of Tiny Homes?
Neighborhood reactions to in-fill clusters of low
income people
e.g. Tent Cities
Group Homes
Permitting
Utility Hook-ups
Occupant Health & Safety
Not cost-effective for developers to
“do it right”
By the time you deal with code
restrictions & requirements, no
longer affordable housing
5 Secrets They Don’t Want You to Know
1. Most cities are “complaint driven enforcement” meaning if your
neighbors don’t say anything, they don’t seek you out.
2. In 2012 and 2013, most cities started cutting back their code
enforcement staff and they’d rather leave you alone.
3. If you maintain an address at a traditional home, it’s hard for them to
prove you live in the tiny house.
4. They won’t say it, but they think tiny houses are awesome and the
wave of the future.
5. Most campgrounds limit your stay to 14-21 days, but if you have two
campgrounds in town, you can alternate until one of them likes you
enough to invite you to stay. Private campgrounds are more willing to
do this.
From: Cracking the Code:
A Guide to Building Codes & Zoning for Tiny Houses
~ The Ins & Outs of Living Small ~
Brad Lansing, Superior Structures NW
via SKYPE: Ross Beck, Tumbleweed
Sharon Read, Seattle Tiny Homes
Some perspectives from local architects & builders:
Miriam Villiard, Heritage Builders NW
Randy Biegenwald, Kitsap HBA
Jonathan Davis, Davis Studio
Some perspectives from local planners & regulators:
Jeff Rowe-Hornbaker, Kitsap County
xxx
1 hour
 15 Minute Break 
Quixote Village ~ Olympia, WA
Jill Severn, Board Member, Panza Foundation
Steve Friddle, Principal Planner, City of Olympia
Raul Salazar, Quixote Village Program Manager
Discussion & More Discussion
1 hour
up to 1 hr
What does this
mean for our
communities?