Summary. This page describes how Temporary Housing is defined according to typical housing codes.

The tiny home on wheels pictured here, from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, is an example of an dwelling that is considered temporary housing. Despite this legal definition, people are able to live in these small houses year-round because they are built with high quality commercial-grade materials and designed for very comfortable daily living.

The text below is taken from the City Code of Iowa City, Title 17 (Building and Housing), Chapter 5 (Housing Code), Section 3 (Definitions).

TEMPORARY HOUSING: Any tent, trailer, motor home or other structure used for human shelter and designed to be transportable and not attached to the ground, to another structure or to any utilities system on the same premises. Such temporary housing may occur for no more than twenty one (21) consecutive days nor exceed a total of forty five (45) days in any calendar year.

It’s unfortunate that durable homes built with the latest sustainable technology are categorized in the law as similar to tents, yet this is how many municipalities consider tiny homes on wheels.

Summary. This page describes how Accessory Dwelling Units are defined according to typical housing codes.

The backyard studio pictured here, from DecoratedShed.com, is an example of an Accessory Dwelling Unit.

The text below is taken from the City Code of Iowa City, Title 17 (Building and Housing), Chapter 5 (Housing Code), Section 3 (Definitions).

ACCESSORY BUILDING/USE/STRUCTURE: A building, structure, or use which:

A. Is subordinate to the principal use of the property and contributes to the comfort, convenience or necessity of occupants, customers, or employees of the principal use; and

B. Is under the same ownership as the principal use or uses on the property; and

C. Does not include structures, structural features, or activities inconsistent with the uses to which they are accessory; and

D. Except for off street parking located on a separate lot as approved through a special exception, is located on the same lot as the principal use or uses to which it is accessory.

Summary. The video below presents some insights into the challenge of finding a suitable location for a tiny home on wheels intended to be lived in year-round.

As explained in the video, in most cities, small homes on wheels are considered to be the equivalent of an RV or camper. You can have them on your property, and you can even have guests staying for a short time, but in some cities they are considered to be temporary dwellings and so they can’t be used for year-round habitation.

Local laws may state that electric and water hookups are okay, but not for extended periods of time (such as more than 30 days). So, that’s what the law says.

Yet, as most city offices will tell you, the laws are not enforceable because nobody knows how many nights a person is sleeping in a tiny home unless there are paid city employees who stay on the property every day for 30 days to see if a person is complying with the law.

Video. The video below provides a comprehensive presentation on this topic.

Video – Short Version. A shorter video on this topic is below.

Summary. Below is a video panel discussion about development in Iowa City. The panel discussion is led by Yale Cohn. (Photo: The Lodge, by Greg Johnson)

From the broadcast description, “Greg Delzer, owner of Defunct Books, JoAnn Larpenter Sinclair from GSpot Hair Design, and developer and historic preservationist Mark Mccallum talking about Iowa City’s zoning codes, how they’re endangering independent small businesses in favor of monstrously over-sized student apartment buildings, and how they can and should be changed to help preserve the diversity of small and locally-owned businesses which make Iowa City such a special place to live in before it’s too late.”

Commentary. Below is a commentary by Greg Johnson about development in Iowa City.

I’d like to think that Iowa City is a welcoming community with regard to developers wanting to invest their money and build up the community.

I tried on numerous occasions to get a statement from Alan Construction for an article on my website. For two weeks, they refused to answer my phone calls and emails. So, I finally gave up. I always seek to offer a fair and balanced presentation of the news. In this case, it was difficult since I could get nobody from the developer’s side to provide an insight into what they are doing or why.

I don’t like it when we demonize an entire group of people (such as developers). Most of the developers I’ve met, I actually enjoy and like as people, although I don’t know them really well beyond our Facebook friendships. I like what the Moen group has done with the Vogel building — having Akar on the ground level, a business (architect) in the basement, and the apartments above seems like a good use of space. I like the idea of new urbanism, mixed use spaces, and walkable communities that puts residential, business, parks, playgrounds, and shopping in a few blocks of shared space — as an alternative to business parks, malls, and suburbs all 30 minutes apart.

I appreciate some of the older red-brick buildings we have here in Iowa City. Yet, I’m probably a minority in this regard: I also like the modern look of metal and glass, such as the Vogel House, Plaza Towers, and Whiteway 2000.

How do we find that balance between the quaint old-world Disney-esque two-story buildings on Dubuque Street between Iowa and Washington; and the Plaza Towers, for example. Or, can the two co-exist. I was talking to one business owner recently who begrudgingly was telling me about their downtown building from the 1800s that was extremely expensive to maintain. Should the public’s nostalgia and romanticized views of older buildings be maintained by business owners?

I feel a little sorry for these developers. Particularly after reading Nila’s Press Citizen opinion piece. I can imagine it’s a huge drain of time and money to keep these old buildings going. Also, they aren’t very environmentally friendly since they use lots of energy to heat and cool.

We’ve had some successful renovations in Iowa City. Stuit Hall is a great example, because it is LEED certified, but I’m guessing for most developers its perceived as too expensive to renovate so they choose to demolish and start again.

There are so many wonderful new materials and technologies for construction these days. New homes and buildings can be much more environmentally friendly than old ones. Many older homes are technologically like a Model T car compared to a Prius.

I generally don’t like old buildings and “historic districts” — if it means that people are required to live in energy consuming old homes with wavy single pane glass.

Developers and property owners are business people first. Presumably more money can be made as buildings go higher vertically. Taxes are, in part, calculated on the amount of land you have (as well as building value). So, from a purely business standpoint, a developer will want to create a building with the greatest revenue generating capability possible. If taxes go higher, buildings must go higher to generate the revenue needed to profit.

Questions:

• As a community, what kinds of options, suggestions, alternatives, or solutions do we have to offer developers?
• How can developers invest huge amounts of money in Iowa City, while at the same time keeping residents happy?
• Beyond complying with building codes, zoning, and local laws, should a home owner, business owner, or developer have their lives controlled by citizens?
• Should developers be required to construct buildings that adhere to an older style of design/appearance?
• Should developers be required to keep existing buildings and renovate according to LEED standards? Can the city offer funds or tax breaks to help with this?

It would be nice if there were a local citizen-developer alliance that created a collaborative community discussion to help developers build with citizen input guiding their decisions.

~ Greg Johnson

By offering over 20 high-quality do-it-yourself guides to design and construction for building small cabins and retreats, David and Jeanie have empowered others to turn their own dwelling dreams into reality. Shown here is their book, Sheds: The Do-It-Yourself Guide for Backyard Builders.

Below are photos from David and Jeanie’s latest building project: a timber-framed all-purpose cottage which could be used as an office, a workshop, a writer’s cabin, or meditation retreat.

These timber-framed cabins are built by the Amish; constructed using no electric tools and joined together with wooden pegs.

Sketches like the one below are the starting point for visualizing the final product (all images below copyright David Stiles, StilesDesigns.com).

Walls and framing are assembled in advance, then raised into place as shown below.

Below a completed Irish Shed or cottage is shown.

Summary. The video below presents a couple who are living off-the-grid.

Dear Friend,

I know that time is precious for everyone, so I’ll try to keep this update short. The approximate reading time is about 5 minutes. Further down, there’s some repetition of announcements from last month for those who’ve just joined the list.

Membership Renewal. Our annual membership rate has been $5 for about 10 years. Based on the relatively small number of people who contribute annually, and the increasing cost of operation, this year we are raising our membership fee to $10. Click here for membership renewal information.

Small House Workshop 2011. The Small House Society 2011 Midwest Workshop & Conference in Saint Louis, MO took place from 26-27 December 2011. Many thanks to those who helped make the event a success. Click here for video messages from the event.

Shop, Support, Repeat. Please visit our site and click the Amazon logo in the right column to shop and have a portion of the profits support our work. Thanks!

Facebook Page. The Small House Society Facebook Page currently has 1,985 members (up from 1,908 last month). If you’ve not yet done so, please visit the Small House Society Facebook Page and click Like to connect with us there.

Yahoo Group. For those who prefer a venue other than Facebook, you might want to consider it as a way to connect with other small living people. The Small House Society Yahoo Group continues to be quite active after about 9 years. We have 1,061 members in the discussion group and 1,984 people signed up for this monthly newsletter through our Yahoo Group subscription page.

Thanks. I want to thank the global team of volunteers and contributors “behind the scenes” who help make all this possible. I’m very grateful to the many people who continue to uphold and advance the mission of the Small House Society. Thanks again for your support. Please let me know if there is any way that the Small House Society can serve you better.

Regards,
Gregory Johnson, Facilitator, President, Co-Founder
Small House Society

Internet: http://www.smallhousesociety.org
E-Mail: shs @ resourcesforlife.com (without spaces)
Postal: c/o Resources for Life, PO Box 2717, Iowa City, IA 52244-2717
Phone: (319) 621-4911
Subscribe. Enter your email address below and click the Join Now button to be notified when the latest Small House Society newsletter is available.

Dear Friend,

I know that time is precious for everyone, so I’ll try to keep this update short. The approximate reading time is about 5 minutes. Further down, there’s some repetition of announcements from last month for those who’ve just joined the list.

Small House Workshop 2011. The Small House Society 2011 Midwest Workshop & Conference in Saint Louis, MO took place from 26-27 December 2011. Many thanks to those who helped make the event a success. Click here for video messages from the event.

Shop, Support, Repeat. Please visit our site and click the Amazon logo in the right column to shop and have a portion of the profits support our work. Thanks!

Facebook Page. The Small House Society Facebook Page currently has 1,985 members (up from 1,908 last month). If you’ve not yet done so, please visit the Small House Society Facebook Page and click Like to connect with us there.

Yahoo Group. For those who prefer a venue other than Facebook, you might want to consider it as a way to connect with other small living people. The Small House Society Yahoo Group continues to be quite active after about 9 years. We have 1,061 members in the discussion group and 1,984 people signed up for this monthly newsletter through our Yahoo Group subscription page.

Thanks. I want to thank the global team of volunteers and contributors “behind the scenes” who help make all this possible. I’m very grateful to the many people who continue to uphold and advance the mission of the Small House Society. Thanks again for your support. Please let me know if there is any way that the Small House Society can serve you better.

Regards,
Gregory Johnson, Facilitator, President, Co-Founder
Small House Society

Internet: http://www.smallhousesociety.org
E-Mail: shs @ resourcesforlife.com (without spaces)
Postal: c/o Resources for Life, PO Box 2717, Iowa City, IA 52244-2717
Phone: (319) 621-4911
Subscribe. Enter your email address below and click the Join Now button to be notified when the latest Small House Society newsletter is available.

Many thanks to those who participated by sending in comments and questions via Facebook, email, and our online discussion group.

We’re looking forward to next year’s events. Let us know if you have any suggestions for venues or topics for upcoming events.

Workshop Introduction. The video below offers an introduction to the conference.

Davis Homes of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. On our way to Saint Louis, we saw a small home for sale along the road and decided to take a closer look.

Small House Movement – Growth Factors. The video below presents an overview of the growth factors and indicators of the movement.

Small House Movement – Groups. This update presents an overview of the groups and people involved in the Small House Movement.

Small Home Air Conditioning and Tornado Safety. This video explores low power off-the-grid air conditioning solutions. Also presented are some points about tornado safety.

Simplicity and Small House Living – History of the Movement. This video discusses simplicity and small living. Also discussed are the beginnings of the small house movement.

I felt it was worth sharing more broadly by posting it here for those who aren’t active in the discussion forum, and also for those involved in any kind of activism or social reform/transform efforts.

As we head into 2012, it’s a good reminder to stay united and focused on solutions, rather than being divided and arguing about problems.

~ Greg

* * *

‘Tis the season…

Friends,

As we finish out the year of 2011, I think we have much to be thankful for. Since 2002, our online discussion group has had 9,881 messages posted. Most of those have offered practical solutions to small home design and construction. There have been excellent discussion threads about electrical systems, water sources, alternative energy, waste disposal, and many other topics.

It doesn’t come up often in this group, but occasionally the discussion gets off topic, stays off topic, and then people may begin to bicker about their own differing opinions about the economy, religion, or politics. I recognize that such conversations will likely always be present in society, but would like us all to make an effort to keep them off this discussion forum.

I know we’re all susceptible to feeling frustrated about the down economy and as we look for people to blame, it’s easy to point the finger at corporate fat-cats or political leaders present and past who are of a different political camp than our own. Heading into an election year, those inclinations will only increase.

As you know, the small house movement brings together people from differing economic, political, social, and cultural backgrounds. This presents challenges and opportunities. The challenge will be for us to stay united and focused on solutions, instead of divided as we complain about problems. The opportunity is that we can learn to respect each other’s differences and grow along the way.

A friend of mine who is well off financially (among the 1%) lives in a 4000 square foot home. He’s done some really innovative things to renovate the home and make it more sustainable. Yet, he still wants to live in something smaller and simpler. He’s also a big supporter of the small house movement. For others, smaller and simpler living isn’t a choice, but an economic necessity for survival. Some may choose small living not for financial reasons, or a desire to live simply, instead they choose small living because they believe a sustainable life is the only environmentally ethical way to live on this earth.

I’ve been involved in social activism for decades, and one thing I’ve learned is that problems are divisive, but solutions bring people together.

Here are some simple examples (among thousands)…

• Starbucks is currently promoting their CreateJobsForUSA.org initiative. This program to create jobs brings people together. Rather than starting a movement complaining about unemployment, and blaming one political party or another, instead they are creating a movement that focuses on solutions.
• NuruInternational.com is an organization dedicated to ending poverty. It was started by an ex-Marine with 7 years of military service and multiple tours of duty. He became disillusioned about war as an effective pathway to peace. Rather than starting up an “anti-war” organization he established a “create peace on earth” organization — and it’s working.

I’d like to think the Small House Society is similar to the above organizations. We’re not here to fight amongst ourselves as we complain about the problems and what caused (or causes) them, but instead we’re here to offer innovative, hopeful, and practical solutions to people seeking smaller, simpler, affordable, and sustainable living. We’re working toward creating sustainable communities where people can live simply with dignity, in harmony with each other and the earth.

Let’s try to keep our time and energy focused on solutions that help people, rather than problems that divide them.

We have a lot to be thankful for. I’m particularly grateful for the many contributions that all of you make to this discussion, and also in your own communities and social circles. We (the Small House Movement) need all of you. We need advocates for our movement from every walk of life — every economic, political, and religious persuasion. You are all ambassadors and representatives of this movement.

Thanks for all you do.

Greg