A few years ago through one of the non-profits I work with we began discussing how
people of color could enjoy more economically sustainable and ecologically sustainable lives. One option with regard to economic sustainability was the introduction into our neighborhoods of smaller footprint homes like the Tumbleweed homes.
In many more urban communities where the actual square footage of the lots is smaller, the building of a smaller, space conscious unit would
potentially provide more yard space as opposed to zero lot line monoliths. Also the cost of building the smaller home is so much less than a conventional home that those who suffer from income inequity (specifically black women) can gain some economic parity by paying substantially less for housing and utilities. In some states the homes (due to their size) require less permits as they are considered mobile homes and therefore do not require the extended timetables for construction.
Tumbleweed homes start at about 89 square feet and expand to nearly 900 sq. ft with as many as three sleeping areas. The catalog (found here at http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/products/catalog) provides the option of buying the plans and building the unit or having one (at a higher price point of course) ready made for you.
In the short video (above) Jay Shafer, the creator of Tumbleweed homes notes that in his small house he spends just $100 a year in utilities. With energy costs spiraling out of control and lending institutions becoming even tighter with funds to lend for residential housing, I think we would do well to consider sponsoring and building these low footprint homes in many of our urban communities.
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