Sarah Hastings' 190-square-foot home was on 3 acres of farmland next to a small garden in Hadley, Mass. Now it's in storage.
The 23-year-old recent college graduate built the house last year while she was a student at Mount Holyoke College. But like many who want to live in a "tiny house," generally defined as a home smaller than 500 square feet, she has struggled to find a place to put it.
After somebody reported her for violating Hadley's zoning ordinances, Hastings proposed changing the town's laws to allow for backyard apartments, but the measure was voted down in a town meeting.
Some local governments around the country are welcoming tiny houses, attracted by their potential to ease an affordable housing crunch or even house the homeless. Cities such as Washington, D.C., and Fresno, Calif., have eased zoning and building rules to allow them, and in May California's housing department issued guidance to help builders and code enforcers know which standards they need to meet. They are even the subject of the HGTV shows "Tiny House, Big Living" and "Tiny House Hunters."
But lost in the enthusiasm is the fact that in many places, it is hard to live in them legally.
Many residents and local officials fear they will drive down property values. Some state and local governments, perplexed about whether to classify tiny houses as RVs, mobile homes or backyard cottages, still refuse to allow them.
And as for tiny houses being a solution to the affordable housing crunch, some housing experts caution they aren't right for everyone.
"People using affordable housing are a diverse group. You've got retired people, disabled people, families," said Robert Silverman, a professor with the University of Buffalo's School of Architecture and Planning. "A 300-square-foot trailer with a loft up top may not be suited for all those groups."
Hastings said Hadley rejected her tiny house proposal because some residents were afraid the town would be overrun with them. "There was kind of a backlash. It only takes a few people saying 'Oh, there'll be 500 of them,'" she said.
