white paper on tiny homes<\/a>, ADUAB members said tiny homes could be a helpful tool, but that a series of challenges also come with them.\u00a0<\/p>\nTiny homes are divided into two categories, according to the report \u2013 mobile and permanent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mobile tiny homes are built on wheels and are specifically designed to be easily transported and are often custom built, according to the report.\u00a0These cannot meet building and residential code requirements so are considered a type of recreational vehicle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The maximum size allowed for a tiny house on a trailer according to the Department of Motor Vehicles is 8.6 feet wide, 40 feet long and 13.6 feet,\u00a0high which equates to approximately 320 square feet of livable space. Under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, units built solely to RV standards are typically limited to RV parks, or temporary uses unless given permission in local zoning ordinances.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Permanent tiny homes are designed for a fixed foundation and may be modular, manufactured, shopping containers, 3D printed or custom built, according to the report. \u00a0They must meet building and residential code and may be used as accessory dwelling units or primary residences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The size\u00a0can\u00a0range\u00a0from\u00a080 square feet to 800 square feet, but typically smaller than 600 square feet. However, the International Residential Code adopted in Virginia, defines a tiny home as less than 400 square feet,\u00a0excluding lofts, which tiny homes sometimes include.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Costs vary dramatically, according to the report, depending on size, design and construction method.\u00a0The report cites an\u00a0average price\u00a0of\u00a0$67,000,\u00a0but found\u00a0that on a\u00a0square-foot basis, tiny homes are 38% more expensive than full-sized homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tiny homes are used across the country in a variety of ways including as transitional housing, rental housing and for market-rate homeownership. In Texas,\u00a0homebuilder\u00a0Lennar has developed tiny home community with prices averaged at $140,000 for 661 square feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor tiny homes to be feasible as an attainable homeownership option in Loudoun County, based on cost research, land would need to be available at reduced or no cost. This position is based on current ADU pricing of $155,025 for a one-bedroom unit. If land were available at no cost, construction and site work could be completed for approximately $150,000 per unit,\u201d according to the white paper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are a variety of ways to finance a tiny home,\u00a0including personal loans, RV loans, traditional mortgages, contractor financing, cash, credit card and land trusts, according to the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Land use considerations must also be\u00a0taken into account, according to the report. Tiny homes must comply with site requirements, building standards and zoning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A condominium\u00a0type structure could potentially address some of those considerations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA condominium structure could enable multiple homes on a shared parcel, enhancing affordability and sustainability. A condominium structure could also make it possible to minimize yards and setbacks while maximizing density quality open space, and community amenities,\u201d according to the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To understand what could work in Loudoun, ADUAB members compared a potential scenario with an approved public land and affordable housing partnership being developed in the county currently, where the former park and ride lot in Ashburn is located. Of the\u00a04.86 acre\u00a0parcel, 3.72 acres are developable and according to the current proposal 131 affordable rental units and eight ownership units will be built.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The board estimates that if that same parcel were developed into a tiny home community, 40 to 50 tiny homes would need to be developed to make the project financially feasible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBy using a ground lease, the county can maintain land ownership and provide financial support to keep the homes affordable. Additionally, having more units can help with site costs and infrastructure improvements,\u201d according to the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Using the existing proposal as a cost and assuming a cost of\u00a0$125,000\u00a0per\u00a0unit with a $1 million ground lease payment, the development of 45 tiny homes for ownership could cost $6.7 million. The approved proposal for 131 rental units and eight ownership units is expected at $4.5 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This cost also does not\u00a0take into account\u00a0additional expenditures for a rezoning, if that would be needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on the research, ADUAB believes tiny homes could be a helpful tool as part of the county\u2019s housing toolbox to address homelessness and housing needs. Tiny homes may also offer a way to provide attainable homeownership depending upon the design, financing and ownership structure,\u201d according to the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Board of Supervisors is expected to receive a summary of the white paper during its Dec. 2 meeting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Loudoun\u2019s Affordable Dwelling Unit Advisory Board says the challenge\u00a0of finding\u00a0affordable\u00a0living spaces could potentially be addressed in part by…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":412627,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[746,103128,50,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-412626","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-loudoun","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115632463110274316","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}