Two years ago, Oregon tiny house advocates were embroiled in a fight with the Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD). The BCD director was actively working to stymie the governor’s directive to create a building code for tiny houses that would draw from the International Residential Code (IRC) Appendix Q. What’s more, he made changes to existing RV rules with the malicious intent of blocking any acceptance of movable tiny houses. For two years, dedicated advocates rallied tremendous local municipal and state-level support to reverse the BCD’s undermining. The results were tremendously positive. HUGE kudos to dedicated folks behind Tiny House Build, SquareOne Villages, and the Oregon Chapter of the American Tiny House Association!

Read my post from February 2018 for a better understanding of the past Oregon tiny house legislation struggle.

In a win for tiny house enthusiasts, dwellers and builders in Oregon, the State of Oregon Building Codes Division has adopted a tiny-friendly 2018 Reach Code. Effective September 20, 2018, the new Reach Code includes a tiny house section that provides a pathway for legalization for fixed foundation and movable tiny houses.

American Tiny House Association

The new Oregon Reach Code is a voluntary set of standards with a section dedicated to tiny houses. These are can be utilized in place of state building codes, by a DIYer or pro-builder. It requires building officials to accept structures built to it. The Reach Code includes an option for following the 2018 IRC Tiny House Appendix Q, for tiny houses built on foundation, which allows for lower ceiling height limits and sleeping loft access by ladder. It also includes a section for movable tiny houses, aka tiny houses on wheels, allowing for temporary RV-type utility connections. Perhaps the best bit of the new code is this: local building officials have the authority to waive or reduce some of the requirements, when deemed reasonable and when there is no imminent threat to public safety. They are not allowed to impose additional requirements beyond what is included in the Reach Code. Though cities can opt out, and it exempts any municipalities that have previously adopted zoning codes that exclude tiny houses.

The Reach Code tiny house definitions, in a nutshell:

• Group R-3: A permanent one-family dwelling of 400 sq. ft. or less that will be permanently anchored to the ground. These structures are able to follow the 2018 IRC with Appendix Q, which allows for ladder access to sleeping lofts and reduced ceiling height limits. It requires permanent utility connections and fixtures as defined by standard plumbing and electrical code.

Currently in use in the Emerald Village tiny homes in Eugene—created by SquareOne Villages.

• Group R-5: A wheeled residential or recreational structure 400 sq. ft. or less. These structures must be built on a trailer and have temporary RV-type electrical and plumbing connections, and are limited to temporary living quarters for seasonal or emergency use, or as allowed by the building official.

The duration of stay may be determined by local ordinance, except for those located in RV, manufactured housing, or transitional housing parks. In which case, they may not be limited in use or period of stay, unless otherwise addressed in local land use and planning. It also allows for R-5 wheeled structures to be converted to R-3 on foundation structures, if the structure is permanently anchored to the ground, as well as standard plumbing and electrical connections. For more specifics, see the full Reach Code.

While the Oregon Reach Code is a game changer for tiny living in Oregon, it doesn’t solve all the issues for tiny house placement. For instance, the case for movable tiny houses as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) still needs to be made city by city, county by county. On the upside, tiny houses are now legitimized in the eyes of the state. The land use and zoning process should be extremely expedited because of the new building guidelines, especially in comparison to states with no available statewide tiny house code. Hopefully, that will be the case in Bend, OR, where a young family was recently told they had a mere ten days to vacate their tiny house on wheels. Most likely a complaint was made by a neighbor because this is how most code enforcement happens. Any complaint means action. You can read more about the story from the local newspaper here.

The family built a beautiful tiny home and parked it behind a small house that they purchased in Bend, where they lived peacefully for a year. They rented rooms out of that foundation-based house at affordable rates for veterans. The father, Steve Bryant, is a veteran himself.  His family has been providing a much-needed service for their community, as Bend’s housing stock is limited, especially affordable units. After the city code enforcers told the Bryant family to vacate their THOW or face daily fines, they crammed into one room in the foundation house. The family is determined to fight the eviction, and just yesterday, they attended a city council meeting to discuss their situation.

Council meeting seemed like it went well tonight. I would like to thank the council, mayor pro-temp, and mayor for listening and trying to fit the issue into their busy schedule. They didn’t like hearing no due process or official eviction notice. Thank you all for your support, and I will keep you updated. Code change will take discussion and time, but they are having the conversation!

Steve Bryant, the tiny homeowner

While the process will take time, I hope the city considers granting the family a temporary allowance to stay in their tiny home, while they work towards a longer-term, city-wide solution. I recently wrote about a similar situation in Boulder, where a college student was evicted but was able to return to his THOW.

Are you in the process of building a tiny house to the Oregon Reach Code?

-Alexis Stephens, Tiny House Blog contributor

Back in December, we sought winter tiny house parking in central Oregon. Ultimately, we settled in Bend is one of our favorite cities. It’s small but happening and has amazing nature access, including a nearby ski resort. There are charming coffee shops and breweries for days. I set a fun goal to try each coffee shop in town, except for Starbucks—we drink plenty of that when traveling. As you might imagine, Bend is a highly desirable place to live. Because of this, we started our parking search far in advance of arriving.

We usually find parking through networking, which we tried. One solid option came from our connections, but it was further out of town than we would like. Instead of settling, we got creative with our search. I found a Facebook Marketplace listing for a room for rent, in the heart of Bend. The pictures showed a large backyard; looked like ample space for our 20’ tiny house on wheels. I figured that if someone was renting a room, he or she was likely looking for supplemental income. So I reached out to the landlord to see if he would be open to hosting a tiny house. At the same time, I put up a Craigslist post with a flyer about us, our house, our parking needs, and what we were willing to offer. Many times, a work/trade agreement can be made. For reduced lot rent, the tiny dweller offers their services. We offered snow shoveling, pet care, trash duties, and basic home security. Though, we realized that it might be easier for us just to pay rent. We set a budget of $300/month, excluding any on-site work. That’s what we could afford. Additionally, we did a little local RV park research and found that we could find a spot with full hook-ups for $500/month.

Good news! Our parking request was appealing to five landowners, including the Facebook lister I first reached out to. We were thrilled. Our backyard spot is very close to downtown and just a five-minute walk to a beautiful river trail. The “host” house is on a dead-end street in a quiet neighborhood. On the property, there is also an on-foundation accessory dwelling unit, a historic cabin, and an RV pad. Both are occupied. We feel entirely secure here. If there’s ever an issue, we have several fall-back parking options.

After settling into our new parking spot and completing our tiny house winterizing prep, we kicked into gear with our winter work/play lifestyle. Our schedule: work, hang with friends, snowboard. Repeat. Low living expenses from staying put for a few months with our tiny home, plus work-from-home flexibility allows us to enjoy a wonderful work/life balance. And thanks to the free WiFi at Mt. Bachelor, our office is sometimes the ski resort’s coffee shop. Two big reasons we chose Bend as our winter parking location: easy access to a ski resort and lots of nearby friends. Over the last few years, we’ve made a ton of new tiny dwellers friends, due to our tiny house connections across the country, largely thanks to local Meetup groups and social media. Like our pals Cody and Randi, aka the Best Little House in Texas.

Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort is only 30-minutes from our tiny house parking spot. They offer a low-cost RV parking season pass. The catch is you can only stay 7 consecutive days at a time, for no more than 34 nights per season. Still a great van-life and RV option for the dedicated skier or snowboarder. During your stay, one of your neighbors could be a stunning converted vintage firetruck, home to pro-boarder Austin Smith.

I have been taking snowboarding lessons, through this incredible lesson program called Ride in 5. For less than the cost one season pass, you can learn to ski or snowboard in five lessons, and when you graduate, you receive a pass for the rest of the season. When I started my goal was to become skilled enough to go down an easy hill with my main squeeze, Christian, who’s an experienced snowboarder. Great news! I already achieved my goal. My quick progress has been encouraging and exhilarating, especially after breaking my wrist a couple of years ago when I first tried to learn. Please don’t let that discourage you. I fell on a flat, icy spot. Now I wear wrist guards and try not to put my hands back when I fall.

I love what one of my snowboard instructors shared with the class: learning to ride is a personal growth exercise. You are expanding your patience and determination while conquering fear. I am thrilled to be embracing such a fun, fulfilling lifetime skill. If you take a stroll around a ski resort, and you’ll see people of all ages skiing and riding. Let’s go riding!

by Alexis Stephens, Tiny House Blog contributorM

My partner, Christian and I are traveling tiny house dwellers. Together we’ve been on the road three and a half years for our documentary and community education project, Tiny House Expedition. We live, breathe, dream the tiny home community every day. This is our life and our true passion project. We are very grateful to be able to experience this inspiring movement in such an intimate way and to be able to share our exploration with all of you.

The term “tiny house on wheels” can be a source of considerable misunderstanding. Ease of mobility is all too closely related to transiency, bringing up creepy connotations for many the traditional home dweller. Also, any structure on wheels is often seen as only temporary. Recreational vehicles are only intended for short term stays; right?

Tens of thousands of people live full-time in RVs and travel trailers despite the “recreational” classification. Does that mean the quality of materials and construction is up to snuff with residential building codes? Nope. Does it mean they are automatically unsafe? Nope. Unfortunately, there are too many RVs with toxic materials, like formaldehyde that cause an array of upper respiratory symptoms, trigger asthma, and breathing problems. In the custom RV world, including widely popular school bus conversions, the quality of materials sky-rockets. In my opinion, these kinds of homes on wheels should be accepted as dwellings. While easily placed at RV parks and mobile home communities, finding your own land with no restrictions can be legally limiting. And people living in RVs or manufactured houses, are all too often considered “trailer trash.”

Historically, poor Americans moved into mobile homes because they couldn’t afford middle-class suburban homes. And because of this, basically, having less material wealth, these folks have been looked down upon from the start. Poverty is a complex issue, including institutional aspects. Additionally, there are many side effects from the lack of access to opportunities. It is understandably tough to wrap your head around what causes it and how it affects personal development. I reject the idea that poverty is directly caused by personal failings. It’s a complicated cycle, immensely difficult to escape.

Fear seems to be at the core of the stigma around the topic. Fear of the unknown. And there’s the fear of people taking resources away from you and your family, safety concerns, and negative impacts on property values. All of this plays a significant factor in the misconceptions around tiny housing in general. Understanding why someone would choose to live tiny is mind-boggling for so many, even if they like the “shows”. The idea that a neighbor would reject societal norms by embracing a strange kind of home makes some uncomfortable. It’s edgy.

Living in less expensive, or smaller structures of any kind is an intentional choice by a myriad of Americans. Not a brand-new concept but definitely one that is picking up steam. It’s a way to help tiny dwellers pursue their financial and/or lifestyle goals. Though, it is true that RVs and mobile homes are historically not durable long-term, even the most expensive motor-homes. Neither are they as homey, as a modern tiny house.

Terminology

To create clarity in our tiny structure terminology, I think it’s essential to avoid mixing up terms relating to temporary shelter and full-time dwellings. A “tiny house” is a fully-functional dwelling with a kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping areas. If a structure lacks any of these items, then the term “tiny shelter”, or “micro shelter” should be used.

When we confuse these two terms, it waters down the meaning of a tiny house as a full-time home. My intention is not to look down upon tiny shelters for the homeless, but to ensure they are each accurately represented. Our country desperately needs to create more shelter and housing for those experiencing homelessness. It’s incredibly important. To best win the support of our communities for any tiny house project or regulation, we need to be clear with our terms and intentions.

A “tiny house” or “tiny house community” has permanence. We, as advocates, can stress the durable, quality-built nature. A “tiny shelter” or “tiny shelter community” implies transitional and temporary. There is a place for these as a stop-gap measure to help get people out of dire situations.

SquareOne Villages provides an excellent example. They address the missing rungs of our American shelter and housing through their two kinds of villages. Opportunity Village Eugene is a micro-transitional community for those experiencing homelessness. Some residents have now transitioned to their new, beautiful Emerald Village, a low-cost permanent tiny home community.

Tiny houses on wheels are a hybrid structure. They bring together the mobility of travel trailer with the durable materials and construction techniques of a traditional house, making it entirely suitable for year-round living. A well-built THOW is highly insulated, sturdy, and customizable, from initial build to future home renovations. In general, they tend to be heavier and less nimble on the road, though not always the case.

Avoiding restrictive codes was one of the original intentions behind modern THOWs. But they quickly became attractive to many as a mobile asset. Whatever life changes arise, you can take your tiny home investment with you. Notably, we frequently traveling tiny house dwellers are only a small subset of the overall movement. The vast majority of movable tiny house dwellers only move one to three times ever.

Benefits of a Movable Tiny House

In my opinion, it is crucial to educate people about the value of a movable house. The term “movable tiny house” has a broader meaning than “tiny house on wheels.” It distances the housing type from the looked down upon “wheels” term and “transient” implication. Of course, in my view, these are based in fear and lack of understanding. But words have power, so why not choose a term to help our society wrap their heads around the benefits of this nontraditional housing type.

The fact is a movable tiny house provides a highly valuable opportunity for communities needing to increase housing supply. Expanding housing stock is proven to help with affordability. And housing diversity leads to healthy, more equitable communities. Stigma is reduced when new or untraditional concepts are normalized, and when opportunities are available to a greater number of citizens.

The BIG benefit of movable home over a foundation-based house is this: starting right now, TODAY, we can place them in countless backyards, or on properties with a primary structure.

It is a kind of instant development that requires fewer infrastructure needs, translating into reduced costs and resources, for all involved–city, primary homeowner and tiny house dweller. Tiny houses and accessory dwellings of all kinds can add value to a property, not lower it.

The idea is that the presence of ADUs on the properties of your neighbors makes the whole environment denser and more urban, and thereby less desirable — which could affect the value of your property, even if you don’t have an ADU yourself. Is there any evidence for ADU effects on neighborhood property values, for good or bad?  The short answer is no.

– AccessoryDwellings.org

A movable tiny house is an investment in yourself, to achieve your goals of owning your first home, starting a risky new business or saving up to buy a larger home for your growing family, etc. Do not underestimate the value of a house that can be easily relocated. We need to talk about this more. Yes, it provides fabulous flexibility to move from place to place as desired. BUT as stated above, most people are not doing that often.

As a tiny homeowner experiences an infrequent big life change, like a new job in another city or state, he or she can relocate with their home. The real value is the significant cost and time savings it provides. And you could argue, it reduces the heartache and stress of hunting for a new home that meets your budget and lifestyle needs.

These are all movable tiny houses benefits that need to be clearly expressed, over and over, to our policymakers and neighbors.

The good news is slowly but surely, more and more cities are accepting movable tiny houses. Read all about San Luis Obispo’s newly approved zoning ordinance, allowing tiny houses as accessory dwelling units, in my recent post. It just went into effect. Hundreds of tiny houses could be legally placed in backyards across the city! Just imagine if the entire country allowed them by right…

What are other benefits of movable tiny homes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

by Alexis Stephens, Tiny House Blog contributorM

My partner, Christian and I are traveling tiny house dwellers. Together we’ve been on the road three and a half years for our documentary and community education project, Tiny House Expedition. We live, breathe, dream the tiny home community every day. This is our life and our true passion. We are very grateful to be able to experience this inspiring movement in such an intimate way and to be able to share our exploration with all of you.

Orlando Lakefront at College Park pioneered the RV/Tiny House community idea back in 2015. The owner has slowly transformed it from a run-down 1950’s RV park to a lush modern tiny home community. It has an invigorating vibe, thanks to the active lifestyle of many of the diverse residents.

Learn more: http://www.orlandolakefrontth.com

Have you heard about recent stolen tiny houses? Fortunately, most have been found. With the right preparation and tools, this awful situation can easily be avoided. Most importantly, don’t let fear keep you from pursuing your tiny house dreams!

As nomadic tiny house dwellers, my boyfriend and I have parked in all kinds of weird places the past few years. For example, we have made city streets, warehouse yard, and truck stops. One of our frequently asked questions is “what do we do about security in your tiny home?” Though we have never had any issues, we take crucial precautions.

The basics in our tiny house security include basic protections like a code deadbolt for our front door. Due to the single pane glass front, we added plexiglass on the inside for added protection.But what else can you do to protect your tiny home?

Here are eight tools you can use to deter and prevent theft:

• Hitch lock

A hitch lock is trailer security 101. It is important to have this in place when towing to prevent the trailer from becoming unhitched. In addition, it prevents someone else from hitching up your tiny house on wheels and driving off with it, when stationary. We use the MegaHitch Vault.

• Wheel lock

Similarly to a traffic cop booting your car, a wheel lock immobilizes your trailer. It is not something can easily be removed without some heavy welding equipment, or of course the key. Available on Amazon, hardware stores and trailer supply shops. We use a multi-functional wheel chock lock.

• Block your hitch

Simply put, make your hitch inaccessible. If a thief can’t access it, he or she can’t tow your tiny house away.

• Motion detector light

Another simple tool is a motion detector light. Certainly, the unexpected bright light will surprise would-be creepers. As a result, it will likely inspire them to turn and walk the other way.

We use a battery operated flood LED light by Agilux. It was a snap to install and comes in handy anytime when we come home at night or need to access our “garage” when it’s dark out.

• Dog

Nothing makes strangers uneasy like a dog barking. A dog can definitely scare off a would-be intruder or thief. Small or large dogs can do the trick. Though we recommend utilizing one or more of the other suggested deterrents, as well.

Fun fact: most tiny house dwellers we’ve met in our travel have one or more pets.

• Smart home monitoring

There are many smart home monitoring systems on the market. We recently tried the Honeywell Smart Home Security System. It’s an easy DIY all-in-one system with motion and sound sensors.

If any activity is detected in or outside our tiny house, it sends us alerts and images on our smartphones. Even though we have never been nervous about home security, but we appreciate the real-time monitoring of our most significant asset.

Downside: like many similar smart home systems, the Honeywell version requires consistent WiFi and power. If you are off the grid, look into battery and solar-powered video security cameras.

• “Smile Your On Camera” Sign

Yet another simple criminal deterrent is a home security sign of some kind. The goal is to make a crook feel like he or she could get caught at any moment. Moreover, you can use this with or without an actual security system.

• GPS tracking device

Heaven forbid, your tiny house does get stolen. A GPS tracking device can help you catch the crooks and recover your home. Two tiny house insurers now offer these, InsureMyTinyHome.com and Strategic Insurance Agency.

There are many GPS trackers on the market for cars and RVs, both battery operated and solar powered. From what we’ve seen, all of these devices work in tangent with a monitoring service. The devices are between $100-300, plus $15-25/month subscription.

GPS tracker options:

• https://www.outdoorsy.com/gps
• https://gpsandtrack.com/equipment-gps-tracker
• http://bit.ly/brickhousesecuritygps

For anyone considering removing your trailer’s wheels as a security precaution, remember that 70% of the total weight of the tiny house and trailer is supposed to be on wheels. Therefore, this weight will need to be very carefully redistributed across the axles and entire frame, using jack stands or concrete blocks. Research correct block placement technique!

Do you have other tiny house security tips? Please share in the comments.

by Alexis Stephens, Tiny House Blog contributor

My partner, Christian and I are traveling tiny house dwellers. Together we’ve been on the road three and a half years for our documentary and community education project, Tiny House Expedition. We live, breathe, dream the tiny home community every day. This is our life and our true passion. We are very grateful to be able to experience this inspiring movement in such an intimate way and to be able to share our exploration with all of you.

Operation Tiny Home is expanding its programming again. This inspiring nonprofit offers affordable housing solutions and community-focused tiny house building workshops, for veterans to those experiencing financial hardship. Last month, they launched a Downpayment Assistance Grant program. Read about it here. Now they are supporting “dignity housing” for Native Americans.

As part of their new Native American Housing Program, Operation Tiny Home will partner with tribal nonprofit organizations to support the creation of high-quality alternative housing options and the development of quality tiny housing communities. Through hands-on will teach local program leaders and community volunteers how to build custom tiny houses through hands-on construction and carpentry training workshops. The home built during each workshop will be donated to support housing needs in the local Native American community.

Operation Tiny Home is hosting a Lummi Tiny House Building Workshop, April 25-27, in Bellingham, Washington. They are partnering with Wells Fargo and the Lummi Stepping Stones nonprofit to support the launch of the Eagle Haven Tiny Home Village. It will eventually have over twenty small homes, gardens, play spaces, and a community building. The goal is to serve as a welcoming place for members of the tribe who are out of options.

The 3-day workshop will led by the illustrious Zack Giffin of Tiny House Nation. It will cover basic tiny home construction process, from the foundation to the finishing trim. Essential skills will be taught, including comprehending blueprints, foundation preparation, framing, and window installation. In addition, participants will learn how to create Shou Sugi Ban siding, the art of preserving and finishing wood through charing with fire. This workshop is FREE for Lummi Tribal Members.

Our objective is to go beyond providing a simple housing solution. Our focus is to empower participants to build a better future for themselves while cultivating sustainable communities to create lasting transformation in housing stability within their community.

Our free workshops provide participants with access to resources, education, and new opportunities to facilitate personal growth, self-sufficiency, and fulfillment. Over the course of our immersive hands-on workshops, we cover a wide range of topics including construction terminology, foundation considerations, design, framing, sheathing, roofing, siding and trim, windows and door installation, finish carpentry, and multi-functional furniture design to creatively maximize small spaces.

– Operation Tiny Home

by Alexis Stephens, Tiny House Blog contributor

My partner, Christian and I are traveling tiny house dwellers. Together we’ve been on the road three and a half years for our documentary and community education project, Tiny House Expedition. We live, breathe, dream the tiny home community every day. This is our life and our true passion. We are very grateful to be able to experience this inspiring movement in such an intimate way and to be able to share our exploration with all of you.