A Small Win for Cheaper Housing

A concern among a lot of people today is the cost of housing. I have been arguing that government regulations make it difficult for contractors to build small homes and still be profitable. Safety regulations that go overboard, and even one child per bedroom rules exist in some places. Sometimes those regulations even ban the construction of certain sized homes. Recently, there was a small victory in the state of Georgia for those who can’t afford homes.

Tiny House Hand Up won an important legal battle in their challenge to the City of Calhoun’s ban on building homes smaller than 1,150 square feet. (Footage generally excludes non-finished rooms). For the record, that would ban both of the homes I have bought in my lifetime. The first was a small 850 sq. ft. cottage in Pennsylvania. Sixteen years later I sold that home and bought an 1,100 sq. ft. home in South Dakota, in which I reside. My first home previously held a family of four, while my present home previously contained a family of five. Proof it doesn’t take a mansion to sufficiently house a family.

Tiny House is a Calhoun nonprofit that wants to use donated land to fill a niche for smaller, less costly homes. Fortunately, with the help of the Institute for Justice, they will be able to so. A written order will be coming from the court in the next few weeks. I assume, however, some extra work may be required to inspire contractors to build them.

Attorneys in the case made a number of statements, including, “Small homes offer flexibility for people who might not be able to afford larger homes or who just prefer to downsize,” and “Imposing arbitrary limits on home size makes no sense and violates the Georgia Constitution.”

Why common sense must prevail: Between 2020 and 2024, the median house price in Georgia rose from $249k to $381k. That’s more than 50% in under five years. Who can afford that? Not many – especially in Calhoun. Its poverty rate is more than twice the national average and its rate of home ownership is lower by 36%. Nearly 20% of homeowners and 40% of renters in the city live in housing that costs more than 30% of household income, a percentage which is generally considered unaffordable. Twenty-five percent has long been considered the standard for rent or mortgage.

Government busybodies, and often times your neighbors, increasingly want to dictate not only what you may do on your property, but also what kind of home you are allowed to live in. Cities and neighbors should have zero rights on your property barring a direct denial of rights on theirs. Elect leaders who will ease up on rules and regulations that hurt your ability to afford a home. Victory isn’t impossible.