Small House Society – Media

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Media Inquiries. We welcome inquiries from members of the media seeking to report on the small house movement and trends toward simpler more sustainable living. Please contact us and a member of our support team will respond as soon as possible.

Media Coverage – The Small House Society in the News. Recently, there has been significant media coverage of the Small House Society and the trend toward living in smaller spaces. Our work and that of our members has been featured by CNN, National Public Radio, the New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Global News Coverage. The Small House Society has been reported extensively by North American media and as far away as Australia and even China (see article above).

A Diversity of Voices. Of course, no single person or house can alone represent the movement toward smaller, simpler, more sustainable living. For this reason we make an effort to provide a balance of books, news coverage, and other resources that can help convey a message of simpler living on any scale.

Radio Interviews. Audio is now available for recent interviews with Gregory Johnson and other Small House Movement members.

• Small House Movement – Platz ist in der kleinsten Hütte,  9. März 2013. “In Ländern mit hohen Bevölkerungsdichten wie Japan oder hohen Grundstückspreisen wie die USA gibt es natürlich mehr Minihäuser als anderswo. In den USA ist auch die Heimat der Minihausbewegung angesiedelt. In der Small House Society machen sich Menschen Gedanken über Entwicklung und Nutzung kleiner Häuser, zum Nutzen aller Interessierten.” Translation: In countries with high population densities, such as Japan or high land prices as the U.S., there are of course more mini houses than elsewhere. In the U.S., the the mini-house movement is based. The Small House Society is to make people think about development and use of small houses, for the benefit of all stakeholders.
• Sustainable Home Day, ABC News Radio Canberra Australia, Interview with Gregory Johnson, 10 September 2011. This recorded-live-interview with ABC Radio News Canberra Australia was on 10 September 2011 (11 September 2011 in Australia) as a part of the Sustainable House Day event.
• Radio Colorado College, “Tiny Homes Take Hold,” 7 July 2011. “Across the country tiny homes are being built, some as small as 65-square-feet. Many are vacation homes, tiny cabins set on a choice piece of land, but some homeowners have turned to tiny homes as their primary residences. The trend is called the Small House Movement and KRCC producer Susan Glairon went to Eaton to visit the owners of one tiny home.”
• ABC News Australia
• Iowa Public Radio Book Reading/Interview
• KRUU LP FM, National Radio in Ireland
• Public Radio Interview with Ben Kieffer from February 2007

Print and Web Media Coverage. Below are just a few samples showing media coverage of the Small House Society.

• Movoto Blog, “A Bathroom in the Kitchen? The Small House Movement,” 5 June 2012. “Gregory Johnson, co-founder of the Small House Society and one of the movement’s luminaries, said some people confuse the movement’s goals. ‘People think that this small house movement is anti-big,’ Johnson said. ‘The small house movement isn’t about people who live big. It’s about making options available for people who want to live small.’”
• Newsmax Maxlife Magazine, “Home Sweet Home – Downsizing into tiny houses becomes a big new trend,” October 2011. Available in print only.
• ThomasNet.com, “Living in Small and Tiny Houses – Thoreau Would Be Proud,” by Al Bredenberg, 6 September 2011. “According to Greg Johnson, director of ResourcesForLife.com and facilitator for the Small House Society, smaller dwellings save money in a number of important ways. Utility bills are lower, as well as costs of lawn care and other external care. The difference between large and small houses in heating and cooling costs can be considerable.”
• The New Yorker (print version), “Annals of Design – Let’s Get Small – The Rise of the Tiny-House Movement,” by Alec Wilkinson, 25 July 2011, pages 28-34. “Human beings have always lived in small houses — not to make a statement but because small houses were practical and cheap… Tiny houses are luxurious, because they are easier to take care of and allow their (presumably debt-free) owners to spend more money on pleasures.”
• The New York Times, “Living well in less space: tiny houses catching on,” 27 March 2011. “Tiny houses are going mainstream. Just look at the Katrina Cottage, originally designed by architects Andres Duany and Marianne Cusato as a dignified alternative to the FEMA trailer for flood-ravaged New Orleans. The tiny charmers with pitched roofs, nostalgic front porches and 300 to 1,800 square feet are becoming popular elsewhere; Lowe’s home stores sell the blueprints and materials. The cottages are being used as affordable housing, guesthouses and vacation cottages. It’s part of a larger trend toward living small.”
• Associated Press, “Tiny house movement thrives amid real estate bust,” 29 November 2010. “…Gregory Johnson, who co-founded the Small House Society with Shafer, said the online community now has about 1,800 subscribers, up from about 300 five years ago.” This article was distributed through ABC, CBS, MSN, NPR – National Public Radio, Yahoo, and over 60,000 other news outlets.
• Mother Earth News, “Making the Most of a Small Home,” December 2009 / January 2010. “Gregory Paul Johnson, president of the Small House Society based in Iowa City, Iowa, says there are many people interested in living in smaller dwellings. While his organization claims about 1,000 members, he says his website, ResourcesForLife.com, received 70,000 hits after he did an interview on National Public Radio.”
• Natural Home Magazine, “Put Your Life on a Diet: Living the Simple Life,” November/December 2009. “What excites me most is how micro decisions can have a macro impact. For me, a smaller home has resulted in a significantly reduced cost of living; my home’s costs of construction, utility bills and maintenance are much lower than those of an average home. Living in a smaller space also limits my purchases, saving me money. And these factors help reduce my environmental footprint, which benefits everyone.” [More...]
• AOL ShelterPop.com, “The Small House Movement is Gaining Momentum and I Want In,” 10 December 2009. Small spaces appeal to me. I like the idea of downsizing my life to fit into 500 square feet – or less. My current home is almost double that size, which is still 50 percent smaller than the average American home. Even though I work at home and share the space with my partner, Jerry, and our three dogs, the house still feels too big. Yes, I want less space.” [More...]
• Continental Airlines Magazine, Idea of the Moment, “The Next Little Thing,” June 2009. “The micro-housing trend, once decidedly on the fringes, has hit the mainstream, in part because of the economic downturn. … Johnson is a leading figure in the micro-housing movement. He’s a co-founder of the Small House Society (SHS) and the Small Living Journal (smalllivingjournal.com), a Web site that launched in March, as well as the author of Put Your Life on a Diet: Lessons Learned from Living in 140 Square Feet.”
• Simple Living and Temperance. On 2 April 2009, Gregory Johnson delivered a presentation in La Crosse on the topic of simple living and temperance at the Virtues Conference on Temperance at Viterbo University. To hear the presentation as well as questions and answers (1 hr 21m), visit the audio page or right click here and choose save (37.3 MB). About Viterbo University: “Founded by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in 1890, Viterbo remains committed to its Catholic Franciscan values and its mission to provide each student with a quality liberal arts education rooted in the values of human dignity and respect for the world.”
• Advantages Magazine, February 2009, “Small is the New Big,” pp. 87-92. “As backlash against the “McMansions” of the ’90s, some people favor the economy and ecology of ultra-little homes, such as members of the Small House Society.” [ Article as PDF ] “Subscribers receive ADvantages monthly. The magazine has approximately 40,000 readers. Published in Trevose, Pennsylvania, this magazine is a well-respected trade publication. It is owned by Advertising Specialty Institute.” [Source: Gaebler.com]
• Writers Voices, KRUU FM Interview with Gregory Johnson, 28 November 2008. “Writers’ Voices with Monica and Caroline warmly welcomes author Gregory Paul Johnson, as well as guest host Steve Cooperman, this Friday, November 28 at 1pm. Steve Cooperman is a former journalist and KRUU show host who is currently involved in numerous community projects. Steve put his own life on a diet about a year ago when he moved into a 500 sq ft cottage with a wood stove, close to the town square, greatly reducing driving miles.” [ Audio | Article ]
• Senior Spectrum, “Tiny Houses – A Big Solution for Retirement Living?,” 18 November 2008. “Living in homes too large for their needs can take an economic, physical and psychological toll on elderly homeowners. The upkeep on large homes can be intimidating, and the financial responsibility can be overwhelming to retirees living on a fixed income. An increasing number of seniors are now finding ‘tiny houses’ a viable solution, which makes their lives much less complicated. … According to Gregory Paul Johnson, director of Resourcesforlife.com and a co-founder of the Small House Society, the collective shift towards small house living is a modern trend.”
• The Boomers Chronicles, “I Am Ranting Today on… Housing,” 18 November 2008. “I just think there’s a better way. I can’t spell out exactly how a new system would be designed, but I do know this: houses and other life necessities should not be part of the open market. They should not be subject to speculation or investment schemes or flipping or anything of that nature.”
• The Greenest Dollar, “Why Live in a Micro Home,” 2 November 2008. “With the uncertain economy and tanking housing industry, more and more people are joining the “mini house” movement.  These homes are the backlash against the McMansion movement of today. They’re simple, environmentally friendly, and incredibly inexpensive to live in.”
• CNN, American Morning, 22 October 2008. “Jay Shafer designs tiny homes and has even started a blog about living on less. His homes have a designer feel — interior wood paneling, stainless steel kitchens, built-in bookcases — packed into a space about the size of walk-in closets of upscale homes. His smallest home has 65 square feet; his biggest (a three-bedroom place) has 774 square feet.” [ Article | Video ]
• WAQY-FM Radio, ”Bax and O’Brien” radio show, 17 October 2008. “WAQY-FM serves the Hartford, CT Market as a 50,000 watt station, which not only covers most of Connecticut, but also a majority of Massachusetts as well as parts of Rhode Island. The Bax and O’Brien program has been on the air for the past 13 years, and has been consistently number 1 in the target audience.” [ MP3 Audio File ]
• Providence Journal, “A Small Price to Pay,” 12 October 2008. “Gregory Paul Johnson, a founder of the Small House Society in Iowa City, Iowa, said that the notion of very small houses becoming popular was ‘an absurdity’ five years ago. ‘But there are so many powerful forces at work right now,’ he added, ‘like rising energy costs and the mortgage crisis. I think people want small homes because they cost less to purchase, maintain, heat.’ In July, Johnson, who lives in a 140-square-foot house made by the Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. of Sebastopol, Calif., took to the road to promote his vision of living small, along with Jay Shafer, Tumbleweed’s founder. The two men drove from Victoria, British Columbia, to San Diego, pulling Shafer’s house behind them on a trailer.”
• Newstalk Radio in Ireland, Moncrieff with Sean Moncrieff, 29 September 2008, 9:20 AM CT. Gregory Johnson was interviewed by Sean Moncrieff of Newstalk Radio, Ireland’s National Independent Talk Radio. [ MP3 Audio File ]
• E-Magazine, “Smaller Living,” September/October 2008, page 59, and on the Resources for Eco-Awareness and Action Page. “Five years ago, Gregory Johnson moved to a 140 square foot home, built on a trailer to comply with local building regulations. He has no electricity or running water and eats mostly non-perishable foods at home, using other facilities to shower, go to the bathroom and do his laundry. Since he sold his car on Earth Day in 2004, he has been using a bicycle to get around. Johnson, who founded Resources for Life and the Small House Society, has turned his experiences into the book Put Your Life on a Diet: Lessons Learned From Living in 140 Square Feet (Gibb Smith, $12.95).”
• New York Times, “The Next Little Thing?,” 10 September 2008. ”Gregory Paul Johnson, a founder of the Small House Society in Iowa City, said that the notion of very small houses becoming popular was ‘an absurdity’ five years ago. ‘But there are so many powerful forces at work right now,’ he added, ‘like rising energy costs and the mortgage crisis. I think people want small homes because they cost less to purchase, maintain, heat.’ In July, Mr. Johnson, who lives in a 140-square-foot house made by the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company of Sebastopol, Calif., took to the road to promote his vision of living small, along with Jay Shafer, Tumbleweed’s founder. The two men drove from Victoria, British Columbia, to San Diego, pulling Mr. Shafer’s house behind them on a trailer. (Tiny houses, which rarely have foundations, are often built on trailers.) Along the way they stopped to hold workshops and give (very brief) home tours. Some events drew hundreds of people.” [more...]
• Gazette.net Maryland Community Newspapers, “Tight Quarters,” 10 September 2008. “Gregory Paul Johnson at Resources for Life and the Small House Project lives in a 140-square-foot house and has spawned a community looking to do the same, helped along with a list of resources on his Web site that lists designers and builders who can help build and outfit a smaller dwelling.”
• GAIA Magazine, August-September 2008, “Tiny Houses – Living Well by Living Small” by Jordan E. Rosenfeld, pages 34-37.
• Public Radio, WSUI, “Live from Prairie Lights” 11 July 2008. After the Mobile Hermitage open house, Gregory Johnson was interviewed by Julie Englander of WSUI (Public Radio) at Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City. He read from his book Put Your Life on a Diet: Lessons Learned Living in 140 Square Feet. Photos are now available from the day’s events. [ MP3 Audio File ]
• New West Magazine, “The Big and Little of Western Building,” 20 May 2008. “Johnson lives in a two-story, 7-by-10-foot microhome, warmed by a boat heater in Iowa City, built to be a ‘rustic retreat’ allowing him to basically be on vacation every day.” [more]
• Tiny House Blog, 6 May 2008. “If you are serious about downsizing, than you need to stay connected through the Small House Society.”
• Redfin San Francisco Sweet Digs, “Small is Better,” 23 April 2008. “I realize that the trend toward larger homes overtook the population in the last decade. This is evidenced all around my neighborhood, where small cottages once resided now stand concrete and stucco behemoths.” [more]
• The Hawk Lounge, 12 March 2008. “The size of a single-person room in Burge Hall (dorm) is approximately 172 square feet.  For a lot of people that’s just too small and it would make for a very crowded and uncomfortable living experience.” [more]
• Journal of an Optimist: Little Yellow House, 17 January 2008. “I belong to a small house society. They have a web site with lots of links for people living in micro houses.” [more]
• Shedworking.com, 12 December 2007. “Membership is absurdly cheap (the price of a cup of coffee) and there are plenty of links from the site worth following. Well worth a browse.” [more]
• Gather.com, 13 November 2007. “Gregory Paul Johnson, President of the Small House Society, lives in a 140-square-foot house in Iowa City (see photos top and watch video).  Gregory actively promotes R&D into affordable and ecologically-responsible small houses.” [more]
• Arquitetura & Construção October 2007, page 22. The Small House Society was featured in this Brazilian architectural journal. (20071030tu1729)
• Xinmin Weekly, China. The Small House Society was featured along with Jay Shafer and Gregory Johnson in the September 3 edition of Xinmin Weekly of China. (20070913th1458)
• AARP Bulletin, August 2007. The Small House Society is highlighted in the printed and online version of this month’s AARP Bulletin. (20070824fr)
• AOL – Mini Size Me: Top ‘Tiny’ Trends. The main AOL.com website featured a story on tiny trends featuring the Small House Society as the third of 13 national trends toward smallness. (20070801we2109)
• ABC News, Good Morning America, 19 July 2007. Dee Williams was interviewed on Good Morning America. The video is now being featured across the Internet including the main page of Yahoo.
• Daily Iowan, 18 June 2007. “Tiny Footprints” (page 5A) is an article about the small house movement that explores the phenomenon of authors writing about smaller and simpler living. Gregory Johnson and the Small House Society are mentioned. (20070618mo1139)
• Business Shrink, 10 June 2007. Gregory Johnson was interviewed by Peter Morris, the Business Shrink, on his popular radio talk show. (20070610su1718)
• Iowa Alumni Review, June 2007. This is an article about Gregory Johnson, Small House Society Facilitator. (20070607th1213)
• Shanghai Morning Post, 13 May 2007. The Shanghai Morning Post reaches a readership of 500,000 people in China. We are grateful for their interest in promoting awareness about smaller and simpler living by featuring an article about the Small House Society in the May 13 edition. (20070528mo1853)
• Reader’s Digest Best of America – Top 100. The Small House Society was recognized as one of the best 100 initiatives in America. May 2007 issue, page 143. (20070429su1726)
• Wired Magazine. Tiny homes meet high tech with the Micro Compact Home. The Small House Society is mentioned in this 24 April 2007 article with a quote by SHS facilitator Gregory Johnson. (20070427fr1017)
• The Christian Science Monitor. This thoughtfully written article examines the history, beauty, and value of smaller homes. The article is available in the online and print versions for Friday, 20 April 2007. (20070420fr0952)
• Business Week – Hot Properties. This April 16, 2007 article from Business Week highlights the benefits of smaller living.
• The Chicago Tribune. An article in the Chicago Tribune on April 13 featured the Small House Society in a writing about smaller home construction. (20070417tu0912)
• Apartment Therapy, 13 April 2007. “Apartment Therapy isn’t alone in our pursuit of promoting small space living. Check out The Small House Society, a cooperatively managed organization dedicated to the promotion of smaller housing alternatives, with ecological impact and affordability as primary goals.” [more]
• KWWL NBC Channel 7 Waterloo, Iowa. On March 29, 2007, KWWL briefly covered the Small House Society in an interview with Gregory Johnson. (20070425we1135)
• The Toronto Star. Referencing the Small House Society, the March 17, 2007 issue notes that as “… city planners, environmentalists and developers begin to question the sustainability of super-sized homes, there are a growing number of people asking if bigger really is better.” (20070502we2206)
• Great Lakes Radio Consortium – The Environment Report. This is a nice radio segment and article. (20070608fr1758)
• The Age – Australia. “Is bigger really better? The great house-size divide” by Alex May. (20070316fr)
• Sydney Morning Herald. “Is bigger really better? The great house-size divide” by Alex May. (20070315th)
• ByDesign – ABC Radio National of Australia. Jay Shafer and Gregory Johnson were joined by Matt Adams in an interview with Alan Saunders, the host of ByDesign. The show aired in Australia on Saturday at 9:00 am, 10 March 2007. (20070309fr1653)
• American Profile Magazine is currently running a very nice feature story about small living that includes photos and quotes from Jay Shafer, Shay Salomon, and also Gregory Johnson of the Small House Society. Click the image below to read the full article. (20070306tu2118)
• The Oprah Winfrey Show. Jay Shafer, one of the Small House Society co-founders, appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show which aired Tuesday, February 20, 2007. The Oprah.com website has declared: “This Is the Year to Declutter Your Life.” The site has numerous stories with tips to help people declutter their lives – the first step to smaller and more effective living.
• The New York Times. The Friday, February 16, 2007 edition of the New York Times features Jay Shafer, Gregory Johnson, and the Small House Society in a comprehensive story about the small house movement. (20070216fr1603)
• PBS Affiliate WQPT is currently featuring Gregory Johnson and the Small House Society.Click here to view the video now.
• ABC World News video podcast featured a 77 square foot home in their 24 January 2007 broadcast. Click here to view the QuickTime video in a new window or right click to download it. The file is 12.8 MB and 2 minutes 38 seconds long. For sharpest viewing image, download and then view using QuickTime 7 at “Actual Size.” (20070125th)
• Another Tiny Home on Wheels. “Positive change begins at home. So when Dee Williams decided to change her life, that’s where she started. In fact, she redefined what “home” meant, right down to what it was, and where it could go.” A film by Mark Hoffman. You can also view the following video at Nau.com (very nice quality) or on Yahoo Video.
• Radish Magazine. The January 2007 edition of Radish magazine features a cover story artice on Gregory Johnson, Director of Resources for Life. The online version of the article has 84 additional photos for viewing or purchase that are of excellent quality. These high quality photos can be ordered as downloads, prints, or placed on a variety of products including coffee mugs, t-shirts, mouse pads, key chains, puzzles, ceramic tiles, hockey pucks, and more! (20070105fr2142)
• Voice of America, 30 August 2006
• Time Magazine, 21 August 2006 (pages 46-47)
• Better Homes and Gardens, August 2006 (page 72)
• CBS Evening News, 10 July 2006. New broadcast included a feature segement on Jay Shafer.
• Yahoo Weekend Finance, 23 June 2006
• Wall Street Journal, Real Estate Journal, 14 June 2006 (Print Friendly Version)
• Associated Press, The Quad City Times, 5 June 2006 (Print Friendly Version)
• San Diego Union Tribune, 21 May 2006. (Print Friendly Version)
• National Public Radio, All Things Considered, 15 May 2006
• Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Gazette, Front Page Story, 28 April 2006
• Kansas City Star, 23 April 2006 (PDF, reprint of Columbia News Service Story)
• Miami Contra Costa Times, 16 April 2006 (reprint of Columbia News Service Story)
• EcoReality Blog, 6 April 2006 (reprint of Columbia News Service Story)
• New York Times, Real Estate Walk Through Section, 4 April 2006
• Chicago Tribune, 31 March 2006 (PDF, reprint of Columbia News Service Story)
• Columbia News Service, 14 March 2006
• CBS affiliate KCCI Channel 8 in Des Moines Iowa featured a story about Small House Society Coordinator, Gregory Johnson and his home The Mobile Hermitage.