From Fortune:

Tiny homes have emerged as a potential solution to the US housing crisis, offering affordable, compact living to millennials and others in need. However, they are not necessarily cheaper and the movement is criticized for cultural implications. Tiny homes are reshaping the American dream of single-family homeownership but present an imperfect solution to housing shortages and rising homelessness.

America’s fascination with detached single-family homes has driven the tiny home trend as well. The ideal of having one’s own space has led to a preference for single-family homes over other types of living, such as in other countries where homeownership rates are high. The single-family home concept was perfected in the US, contributing to a persistent cultural preference for detached homes. Even during a mini-housing boom, single-family home construction outpaced other types of housing starts.

Now, as the US experiences a housing shortage and rising home prices, the single-family home has become less accessible and more associated with wealth. Tiny homes serve as a rebuke to the era of oversized homes and symbolize a cultural shift towards minimalism and reevaluating materialism. However, they are not significantly cheaper and are often associated with an upper-middle-class lifestyle. This reflects the complex relationship Americans have with housing as a commodity rather than a right.

Despite posing as a solution to the housing crisis, tiny homes are criticized as not addressing the problem of homelessness. While they provide shelter and some level of safety, they are viewed as an imperfect solution that doesn’t value the lives of those living in them. As an interim housing option, tiny homes may fall short of addressing the root issue of housing inequity in America.



Read more: Tiny homes were a millennial fad and became a Hail Mary shot at solving homelessness