By Jared Morris

With the average family size decreasing and home size rapidly growing, many people are returning to smaller sized homes. The average home size in the United States has increased from 1,780 square feet in 1978 to 2663 square feet in 2013; although with the ongoing movement of tiny homes, people are returning to houses of less than 1000 square feet in size. Tiny houses draw attention for being more affordable, ecologically friendly and more creative than their larger siblings. After being popularized by Jay Shafer, tiny houses on wheels became a major role in the tiny house movement. Popularity with tiny houses remain mainly with the younger adults for their creative designs and affordable costs. Young adults entering the world on their own are able to then take advantage of the tiny home and use it for an early home able to last a lifetime. Though tiny houses have their benefits, many obstacles still remain for those that plan to or currently do own one. The most common obstacle for tiny house owners is the difficulty of finding a place to live in one. “Institutional” discrimination may be encountered by those interested in a tiny home for minimum building codes. Also other community members could be threatened because of fears in property value impact and increased taxes. Although there are still many obstacles blocking the way, Tiny houses re-introduce people to a less materialistic, simple and eco-friendly lifestyle.