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Denver residents now have an option to live in tiny houses after Board of Environmental Health has changed some requirements to make it possible.

On Thursday, the board approved revisions regarding the city’s housing regulations and their impact on residential health. As a result, the previous square footage requirements were removed and that cleared the way for smaller residencies, including tiny homes.

Before the changes, 150 square feet were required for one person and 100 square feet for every additional person, while typical tiny houses are between 100 and 150 square feet. They are designed to use the space as sufficiently as possible. This type of residence requires fewer raw materials and is also less expensive than a traditional house.

Tiny Houses are Just One Affordable Housing Option

The goal of the revisions was to create more affordable housing options for Denver residents. Mayor B. Hancock stated that it will help hard working people who struggle to afford a house to finally find a decent place to live. There are over 1,000 cost-saving units under construction in Denver at the moment.

Square footage and occupancy requirements for tiny houses are yet to be determined by the Denver Building and Fire Code. These regulations will certainly come up over time. We hope that they won’t be so restrictive that it restricts building entirely.

Tiny houses are a novel way that many cities are trying to shore up the national affordable housing shortage. One of the main concerns when it comes to affordable housing is simply space. Traditional single-family homes take up a lot of space, and apartments are often poor options for families. Tiny homes try to hit the in-between, taking up less space than a full-sized house but providing more outdoor space than an apartment would. Plus, they don’t take as long as regular houses to build. That means that the supply will increase quickly, allowing more Denverites to have homes sooner!