Small House Movement Takes on McMansion

Since 1950, there has been a steady decrease in the size of U.S. and Canadian families, and in the amount of time those families spend at home. So why have home sizes doubled? In her book Little House on a Small Planet (Lyons Press, September 2006), green building consultant, supervisor and teacher Shay Salomon posits that against this unsustainable trend stands a growing movement of small house people who live their values by putting their family, community and environmentalism above space, status and granite countertops.

When I first opened Little House and scanned the pictures, I have to admit I did not "oooo" and "ahhhh" as I might when I read Natural Home or any number of glossy home books. The photographer for Little House, Nigel Valdez, chose pictures of real people on average days in their little houses. Nothing appears staged. People are relaxing with their kids, their feet up on the coffee table, or shaving in the bathtub, which happens to be in the kitchen. The book does not focus on polished surfaces of bamboo floors and stainless steel appliances, but on people living in their own quirky ways, together in tight spaces. Cupboards are open, beds are occupied and sheets are wrinkled.

I didn't "jones" for these houses, as Salomon puts it. I didn't think, "Wow, someday I'll have worked hard enough and have gotten paid well enough that I'll live like this." But that's exactly the point. These are houses that are not for someday or for heavy mortgages. They are for today--for living your life as it is and enjoying the now. The book argues that when we stop letting our egos make our housing choices and think of a home as a space to fit the action of our lives rather than a space to be filled, we can manage, and even luxuriate, in much less space.

Little House is split into three sections: building small houses, altering existing houses, and the politics of housing and lifestyle choices. Within these sections are countless stories, pictures, interviews and floor plans. Like a detailed manifesto, the book makes its case for small house living in the imperative: "Quit Jonesing" for your neighbors house, "Build a Glove Not a Warehouse," "Pay Off Your Debts" instead of creating more, "Live at Home" instead of spending all your days working to pay your mortgage, "Reclaim the Commons" by creating community and spaces to share, and "Remember the World" and the connections between first world consumption and worldwide poverty and oppression.

In fact, the politics of housing is a theme threaded throughout the entire book. Reading news coverage after Hurricane Katrina, Salomon learned that in Houston, where many of the refugees were headed, 14% of all housing units (homes, apartments, duplexes, etc) were vacant. Salomon did some research on how this compares to the rest of the country. She found that in the year 2000 there were 10.4 million vacant units and 250,000 people sleeping in homeless shelters. This meant there were nearly 45 homes that were completely empty per person sleeping in shelters. Salomon asks, "How is it that we have a housing crisis? Maybe a homing crisis, or a sharing crisis, but this isn't a housing crisis. "

Although there is no data here as to how widespread or powerful this small house movement actually is, Little House makes a strong case for why this should be a movement. The book is informative and hopeful, even empowering. Salomon takes a refreshing approach in that instead of focusing intently on the problem of current housing trends, she provides the data we need to understand it, and then spends her energy on drawing out solutions that each one of us can choose to follow through.

Power to the little house people!

House-happy!

by Anonymous on September 17, 2006 - 11:12am

God bless someone finally with common sense. Small house owner for 30 yr. as all other neighbors & friends moved into large mortgages, I am the only one left satisfied & happy.

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some practice what this book preaches.

by Anonymous on October 4, 2006 - 12:03pm

if readers of this blog want to see how this ideal is lived rather than how it is written up [both are needed!] check the web sites of the ecovillage communities.

One that is particularly active is in Ithaca, NY:

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Don't forget condos

by Anonymous on October 10, 2006 - 10:27am

If you know how to keep your own personal space balanced while there are many others around you doing their own thing, condo ownership and living may be for you. Sharing common elements is one way to lower your ecological footprint and as an owner/resident you have many opportunities to build community and work towards sustainability.

These changes are pretty

by andreea123 on July 31, 2008 - 2:05pm

These changes are pretty unusual. Indeed what you're saying is true. if the number of the members in a family has diminushed why do people tend to build bigger houses?

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The small house movement is an architectural and social movement that advocates living in small homes.

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The advantages of a small

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The advantages of a small home exceed basic economics; such houses change the way people live and are attractive for people who want to lead a less cluttered and complicated life and reduce their ecological impact.

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I totally agree with her

by cocojambo on December 5, 2008 - 2:20am

I totally agree with her book and this argument of Americans wanting to live in bigger & more spacious and luxurious houses just to show off and fulfill their 'American dreams'

It is amazing the # of Americans taking out huge Jumbo loans (loans in excess of $400k I think) with little down payment, as much as $10k!

Here's a definition of Jumbo loans from http://www.2mortgageloancalculator.com

""In the United States, a jumbo mortgage is a mortgage with a loan amount above the industry-standard definition of conventional conforming loan limits. This standard is set by the two largest secondary market lenders, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Loans above the conforming limits may be offered by seller servicers of these wholesale institutions, as well as Wall Street conduits who provide warehouse financing for mortgage lenders. The loan amounts reflect average loan sizes nationwide. Jumbo mortgages apply when agency (FNMA and FHLMC) limits don't cover the full loan amount. Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC) are large agencies that purchase the bulk of residential mortgages in the U.S. They set a limit on the maximum dollar value of any mortgage they will purchase from an individual lender. As of 2006[update], the limit is $417,000, or $625,500 in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands."

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Stop Repossession

by asmi123 on May 6, 2009 - 1:27am

The Small House Society is a voice for the Small House Movement.It's not a movement about people claiming to be 'tinier than thou' but rather people making their own choices toward simpler and smaller living however they feel best fits their life.the small-house movement includes people who are making a conscious choice to live in a smaller home rather than choosing a larger one. It includes people who could afford McMansions but live in only a 3,000 squre-foot home all the way down to single people living in a tiny one-room home.

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Lease extension

by seo123 on May 6, 2009 - 8:14am

I recently learned about the small house movement. Proponents of tiny houses recommend them as a way to accomplish density without excessively tall buildings and as one potential solution to the affordable housing shortages that exist for first-time buyers in some communities.

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People interested in

by suzain on September 4, 2009 - 12:02am

People interested in building a small home can encounter institutional “discrimination” when building codes require minimum size well above the size of a small home; also neighbors may be hostile because they are afraid of a threat to their property values,With the financial crisis of 2008–2009 the small house movement has attracted more attention as it offers housing that is more affordable in acquisition and maintenance and ecologically friendly.

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Being responsible citizens

by Moly on July 31, 2009 - 5:51am

Being responsible citizens of a rapidly evolving global economy one needs to be proactive towards such sustainable changes. Supporting the small house movement I think it can turn out to be very viable solution for first time buyers in general. Buying a house and arranging home loan even for smaller properties can be a daunting task for some. Easy home loans and sustainable houses can be two models that can work in tandem and support each other. In a way each one complements the other.
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People love to build their own home and buying a property is a dream that we all cherish. The truth is that the economic meltdown in 2008 has left many a dreams of owning a house or an apartment shattered. But the love for a good house with good furniture remains and as world economy limps back the US housing data is showing positive signs.

Interest rates are low and if you think you can muscle some power then this is the right time to buy property at lower prices.

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