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.

Many Americans assume green homes are either hippie eco-shacks in the wood, or Hollywood eco-palaces with expensive solar rooves and sustainably harvested hardwoods. But now, it’s becoming possible to live sustainably – with filtered air, green roofs and energy-efficient appliances – in any income bracket. According to a new article in the Christian Science Monitor, green low-income housing developments are sprouting up nationwide.