How Tiny House Communities are Coming Together During Crisis

16 Apr How Tiny House Communities are Coming Together During Crisis

Tiny homes, by their very nature, evoke a feeling of freedom and, in some cases, the idea of traveling the wide open road solo or only with those who live inside. However, tiny house dwellers are going against this idea and are creating communities and building solid foundations of friends on which to lean when times are happy or hard.

In the recent pandemic with Coronavirus, many tiny housers have banded together to offer safe haven for those who need to be quarantined, and for others trying to keep in alignment with social distancing.

Chris Schapdick of Tiny Industrial said, “I feel that we are all in some way connected by way of the community that we are a part of. I have been checking in with folks to see if they are ok. That common bond is pretty strong and it doesn’t matter if you live in a school bus, big tiny, small tiny, yurt, whatever.”

Options are growing for tiny house dwellers to expand beyond the first vans or THOWs on the market. Whether parked on a foundation or rolling on wheels, the tiny house movement is a family.

Carmen Shenk, a tiny house dweller and converter of Vinnie, a small skoolie, added, “Since we are such a nomadic community, we have to be intentional about connecting – now more than ever. The tiny house community gave many of us non-conformists a tribe of like minded friends who are checking in on each other regardless of the social and geographic distance. And now more than ever, we are grateful for friends who value connections and community more than following the prescriptions of a culture sickened by consumerism.  In some ways, tiny house people are less vulnerable in a crisis because we’ve already been intentional about living within our income and developing proactive strategies for living. Many have off-grid alternatives such as solar power, water tanks, and a composting toilet that would lengthen and strengthen their ability to social distance effectively, and allow them to move their homes to the places that are best for them.”

Another tiny house professional and industry leader added, “From my perspective as a tiny house dweller, it’s been heartwarming to see the online tiny home community come together to support each other. In Facebook groups, there’s an increase of  stories and advice sharing, from everyone’s self-isolation experience. Though space limitations have limits for things like food storage, we are a creative group. So tiny life hacks are being shared right and left! Also for many of us tiny dwellers, including myself, we are beyond grateful to have a financial secure home.” added Alexis Stephens, Tiny House Expedition cofounder and YouTube influencer.

There are communities cropping up and speaking out, after years of flying under the radar so as not to alert people that there are tiny houses present. In the wake of such healthcare scares, tiny housers are willing to put their parking on the line to reach out, connect with close friends, and help to offer relief to their communities.