More Living Arrangements

I ran across the Tiny Houses concept the other day (http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com for the website).  It seems increasingly likely that large one-family multiple-bedroom houses are going to be a thing of the past, or at least out of the reach of most people, as time goes on.  Home loans are going to be harder to get and homes are going to need to be usable by larger numbers of people, both in terms of providing shelter for multiple generations or branches of a family, or for renting out to tenants in return for barter or whatever serves as currency.

The other option is to go small, as Jay Shafer has done with Tumbleweed Houses and built a business around it.  While the homes he builds are beautiful, they are expensive and probably beyond the reach of people who are strapped for cash as it is, but it does reflect an interesting trend moving back in the direction of taking up less in the way of resources and space.  In a time when fewer and fewer people have much, doesn't it make sense that our living arrangements would also reflect the need for less? 

Obviously, while there is still a glut of modern-style homes on the market, there's not a need for new construction, but as those homes wear out, burn down, are located in areas which are increasingly isolated from centers of commerce, it stands to reason that new construction will occur.  Of course, even if there are still modern-style homes available in areas close to commerce, there remains the issue that they are getting more and more out of the reach of many people.

The other option is for people to look at providing unconventional shelter.  After all, if we consider what we really NEED, as opposed to what we WANT, in terms of a house/home, then we can considerably narrow down what is going to fit the bill.  It boils down to having a place to get in out of the elements, sleep warmly and safely, possibly with space to bathe or prepare food, maybe storage for a few essentials.  Alternative homebuilding techniques, using materials that others might see as "junk," or are readily available, is one choice.  With some manual labor and minimal resources, it's possible to construct a decent, liveable home.

Another possibility that someone mentioned to me a while back was to purchase a storage shed and use this as a home.  Obviously, it wouldn't be up to code as a dwelling, but as fewer and fewer people care about those regulations, it may be a possibility for some.  Most of those buildings need insulation in even temperate areas, possibly a couple of small windows for light, etc.  Any provision for heat is going to have to be carefully considered for safety reasons, as are sanitary considerations.  On the other hand, it would beat living in a tent or a box.