[vimeo http://vimeo.com/38551849]
Since I’ve already mentioned Portland a few times on this blog, it’s probably evident that I have a fascination with the place and the people. Admittedly, this obsession comes from watching shows like Portlandia and Grimm (I hope there are more quirky people than monsters there), but I feel like these are my peeps.
So, I’m happily cruisin’ along on the net and screeecccchhh to a hault when I see the article A Cautionary Tale on Tiny Houses by Allan Cerf on Tiny House Talk. It goes against all of my beliefs about a place I have never seen but hold dear in my imagination.
It seems that it is more difficult than it appears to procure a spot of Portland real estate to park your tiny house, and the people aren’t even that friendly! Oh, dear, I can hear the tinkling of glass as my dream of a perfect place is shattered.
Allan and his ex-wife did a lot of leg work on this, so I’m not going to disagree with them, but I had to take a look at some Portland sites to see if I could redeem my idealistic view of this city.
This is what I found:
**I found some good programs for low-income housing on the Portland Housing Bureau site.
**I found some tiny houses being built on
Portland Alternative Dwellings (PAD)
**Bikeportland.org has a wonderful article about Accessory Dwelling Units. These, according to the article and the city, are “living spaces of 800 square feet or less that have an entrance, bathroom and kitchen to call their own.” They are built on a lot that also must be inhabited by the owner. We know these in Ohio as the “mother-in-law suite.” I don’t think Ron would like one of these : ) (I would not!) This idea has been around for a long time, but it appears that it is on the increase in Portland. From what I have read, this is how many of the Tiny Houses are getting approved.
No place is Utopia, but it looks like Portland is at least trying to help its residents. So, I’ll put it back on the bucket list and hope that the city and the people are just as I imagine as I watch them on TV. ; )
Live small and prosper and don’t forget, be nice and share this with all your friends!
~Sue