With its compact footprint and open interior layout that's arranged on one level, the Freedom showcases a simple and stripped-down take on tiny living. Though not well-suited to families, it could be a good option for those interested in regular traveling, or as a guesthouse.
The Freedom (aka Freedom 6m) is designed by Australia's Lusk Tiny Homes and is based on a double-axle trailer. It comes with an understated steel or wooden exterior that incorporates generous glazing to maximize natural light inside. Its walls and ceiling are decked out in either birch plywood or tongue and groove paneling.
It has a length of 6 m (20 ft), which is the same as Baluchon's recent Mirasol, however though the French model aims to cram as much as possible into the available space, including an upstairs bedroom, this tiny home's layout showcases a much simpler approach that offers airy spaces and a high ceiling.
Most of its available floorspace is taken up by a relatively large central kitchen unit, which includes custom cabinetry finished in fingerprint-resistant laminate, with quite a lot of counter space, plus a sink, a microwave, a small fridge, and storage. A ceiling fan helps keep the area cool.
Next to the kitchen is the bedroom area. Bringing to mind Escape's Vista, it has no separation from the living area (though perhaps some heavy curtains could be installed for privacy), but also offers the benefit of easier access than a typical loft-style tiny house sleeping space would.
Over on the opposite side of the tiny house is a small bathroom accessed by a sliding door. This has a shower, a vanity sink, and a flushing or composting toilet, depending on the owner's preference.
The Freedom costs AUD94,990 (roughly US$100,000).
Source: Lusk Tiny Homes
But, if anyone is serious about these $100,000 homes, that removes an important thing that could be a major advantage of a tiny home. So, rather than a tiny home, I was shopping for a used camping trailer, since you can obtain a used trailer for less than 1/10 the cost of the typical tiny houses that show up on New Atlas.
There is another major hurdle to a tiny home. You really don't have any affordable place to put it. Within the area where my friends are (Morgantown, PA), a lot to park it starts at $600/month. And even then, getting a place to put it where you have access to public transportation, is almost impossible.
In short, I think housing for low-income people can be made available. The real-world cost of tiny houses (or trailers) is actually affordable. But, legislation must be changed to permit such houses to exist. Increasing the number of places where you can place them can dramatically lower the cost of the property because of competition.
The legislation has a major barrier, for which I don't see a good solution. Low income places are magnets for things like drugs, prostitution, theft, etc. What legislator would want to be the one responsible for bringing that to a community that they represent? The judicial system has essentially made it impossible for a housing development to kick these people out. So, low income people, even if they would be great neighbors, must suffer in bad communities. If you want to live in a good community, you have to go to a place with higher housing costs, which tends to screen out a larger percentage of the problem neighbors.
Does anyone have an idea how to solve the issue of where to place these tiny houses?
In studying the topic of housing, the way the market rewards scarcity (artificial or naturally occurring scarcity) creates disparity. The market can meet the demands, the limiting factor is how much everyone can get for what they invest. The system became a game of winners and losers unfortunately. The market needs new incentives.