“We’ve pushed more into modulars this year,” he said. “Now, anybody can walk through our door and have\u2026 a solution to whatever their property is going to allow. That’s kind of the misconception, a tiny home doesn’t have to be this one type of product.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even then, there’s no guarantee a local government will allow a tiny home as a stand-alone home, even on a rural property. It’s far easier to find them approved as secondary homes, whether rural or urban, but a property owner in BC is unlikely to find somewhere they can legally use a tiny home as their only residence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, some US jurisdictions have paved the way for them, Stankiewicz said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It’s regulated, it’s permitted, you have to be compliant with all their requirements,” he said. “If they were to open it up and say tiny homes are completely legal, it would be a nightmare\u2026 I’ve seen horrible set-ups where people are not setting these up properly or safely.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He cited a handful of local governments in the US, often in California, as examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are multiple variations to what can be called a tiny home, but the province’s building code is most stringent on those on wheels. Under those rules, they’re considered an RV and therefore not allowed for a permanent home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That hasn’t stopped residents in the Thompson-Okanagan region from trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many have gone up against regional districts like the Thompson-Nicola, Central Okanagan and Okanagan-Similkameen and found they couldn’t overcome the local zoning regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a South Okanagan couple’s effort appeared to get traction with Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District directors<\/a>, who recognized the reality that people are living in RVs across the region year-round already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regional district director Subrina Monteith, who represents residents in Kaleden, Twin Lakes, St Andrews and Apex in the South Okanagan, argued the province’s regulatory regime is “confused” as tiny homes aren’t allowed under most conditions, but the provincial government itself is building them through BC Housing to combat homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The board voted to have staff explore the regional district’s options and craft a new policy for “alternative housing options.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the province’s building code does set out basic requirements for homes, it doesn’t outright ban tiny homes for permanent residences, so long as they have a foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even the basic BC Housing tiny home communities, which are essentially large bedrooms and residents share kitchen space and bathrooms, meet BC Building Code requirements, according to a provincial government spokesperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kelowna, for example, has three such communities, but the city doesn’t have a zone to allow them permanently. To get approval, even BC Housing can only get temporary permits to build them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That leaves it up to local governments to find ways to allow tiny houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Directors still recognized that whatever regional district staff return with, a carve-out for tiny homes could be met with resistance from homeowners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there are examples of flexibility among local governments in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/656690624_4125249154286808_4785746095708230681_n.jpg?w=1024\" "\\"|\\"")
![\"|\"](\"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/MediaItemID101149-7335_4fda16.webp?w=1024\" "\\"|\\"")