Where are the small, affordable homes some people need?

Many individuals and couples could live comfortably today in a small, affordable home no more than 900 sq. ft. in size.

I bet my bottom dollar. (My bottom dollar is a twenty).

Are such homes being built? I don’t think so. Not in Deforest City anyway, where the trend is large, larger and largest. (5,000 sq. ft. for two people? Yes. Excess and spoiled cats are everywhere.)


["19 Washington Ave., Norwich. Less than 1,000 sq. ft.; once home to my parents and 5 lovely kids!"]

According to Stats Can, our home ownership gap is widening (i.e., those with low incomes are less likely now to own their own home than they were in 1971), more people in the highest income brackets are buying homes but fewer people in the lowest income brackets are not. (Home Ownership, London Free Press, June 8)

For example:

From 1971 - 2006, the number of people ages 20 - 34 in high income brackets who own homes has risen from 38 to 77 per cent.

In the same time period, people of the same age in low income brackets who own homes has dropped from 31 to 19 per cent.

People 35 - 54 years old, high income; home ownership rose from 74 to 90 per cent.

People 35 - 54 years old, low income; home ownership dropped from 62 to 46 per cent.

Low income people in all age groups, from 1971 - 2006, have gradually given up on owning a home.

In the same time period homes have increased in size.

Though more than 90 per cent of high income people in most age categories can afford available housing, low income people cannot.

Where are the small, affordable homes that some people need?

In my opinion, they’re not being built for a variety of reasons, none of which relate to generosity or other ideal human qualities or that show an awareness of what’s going on in the real world.

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How many sq. ft. is appropriate or necessary per person or family?

Do you use your whole house?

Could you go smaller?

Are you looking for a small, affordable house? Or a smaller, more affordable one?

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