Recently Portland played host to the Second Annual Tiny House Conference, drawing Tiny enthusiasts from all walks of life to learn about everything from humanure, to debt-free living, to the legal hairline that Tiny Houses walk in various municipalities. It was a full weekend for those who live (and aspire to live) the Tiny Life in our fair city, aka The Tiny House Capital of the Universe.
For those who just can't get enough Tiny, or those who were unable to attend the official conference, the weekend kicked-off with the Tiny House UNconference, hosted by social entrepreneur, Mark Grimes. Urban Nest Agents Liz Getty and Renee DeCuire attended the UNconference to connect with and learn from those that "love tiny houses, live in one, plan to own one, or just have an interest in them" and these were their takeaways.
- Tiny (yes, even on wheels) is not legal in the city, yet...In fact, residence in any "vehicle" is still illegal.
- Some in the Tiny settler community have found clever work arounds, such as having a primary home and additional Tiny home "rooms" surrounding.
- For now the city is simply turning a blind eye. Although there are technically legal communities, there are still a lot of Tiny dwellers (and tiny folks moving here) that are simply living at the will of 'Kind" neighbors.
With high density land prices soaring in an investor saturated market there is a real hope that the city will begin to welcome these Tiny, affordable alternatives as density infill and an opportunity to bring more individuals to Portland with the mindset of "less is more" and community. A dream that will be built one Tiny step at a time.