For 30-year-old Manu Bohn, who lives in the Bega Valley, a deep and daunting new reality lies ahead. He’s had a demolition order placed against his tiny home, leaving him vulnerable to homelessness. Bohn constructed his tiny house on a friend’s property two years ago. He was looking for a low-cost housing option to get out from under the demands of the booming housing market. The council’s directive has put him at risk of losing everything and makes him concerned about what it could mean for tiny home ownership across Australia.
Bohn, who is from Brazil, relocated to Australia in 2018 in search of greener pastures. Without much further inquiry, he was soon personally priced out of the traditional property market. In 2019, he and his husband constructed their own small home. One year on from the bushfires that devastated their communities, they inspired this project – Mogo’s very first community mural. He thought of this as a pragmatic solution to his own housing needs.
Bohn planned to file a detailed development application with the Bega Valley Shire. He did not do that before constructing his house. Just the other day, he received a letter telling him to remove it from the Bega Valley council. It mandated that he tear down or move his tiny home. The letter stated that failure to comply with local laws could result in serious consequences. If you fail to remedy this grave deficiency, you may be liable in the millions—up to $1 million per violation.
I came to their network building everything completely on my own. If that’s taken away from me, all I have left is the little house and, per the letter, I can’t even park it anywhere. So that translates to me not having a home, Bohn remarked.
Bohn knows that without his tiny home, he would become homeless. She has been fighting for enforcement of the existing laws, though Iman makes the case that his particular situation should make him an exception. He would like to see policy changes at every level of government that would allow ownership of tiny homes on private land.
“Often those policies were devised 10, 20, 30 years ago when the housing situation was nowhere near as bad as it is now,” stated Emeritus Professor Paul Burton, who specializes in urban planning. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many advocates have fallen in line with this view. They take their case further arguing that we need to reconsider the current tiny home guidelines in terms of today’s housing crisis.
The problems facing tiny homes are not unique to Bohn’s situation. Policies are now inconsistent and arcane from one council to another across Australia, with many councils lacking any clear policy. Tiny homes have been a part of the Australian landscape for over 15 years. As you can see their prices, as expected, vary dramatically from $20,000 to $200,000. As more low- and middle-class people struggle to pay monthly rent or mortgage bills, these more affordable smaller homes are an enticing option.
Burton emphasized the urgency of addressing these matters: “If the normal market isn’t providing, then people will end up living in tents and caravans and your problem of where they are going to be and having to move them on gets bigger and bigger. It’s pushing the problem around. It’s not solving it.”
Bohn’s experience underscores the challenges that come into play when going for more affordable housing. It illustrates the promise of forward-looking alternatives such as tiny homes. He remains hopeful about the potential for change in local policies: “This is the time for the council to start thinking about a change,” he said.
He elaborated on the positive impact that such changes could have on individuals seeking affordable living arrangements: “It’ll make a huge difference in the way that people can afford … live and just stay in a healthy state of mind. It’ll make such a big difference.”
Emily Harrison, director of community, environment and planning for the Bega Valley Council, has one simple point clarified. She said Bohn had never submitted a development application. His noncompliance has started a chain reaction. If something doesn’t change soon, he’ll lose his home.
Bohn’s situation raises all the right questions. What role should councils play in regulating tiny homes on private land? The moment’s come for them to start making their policies more responsive to today’s housing needs. An increasing number lack permanent housing or have unstable living situations. Given these challenges, it is especially important that local governments reconsider their regulatory approach.
This allows Bohn to be at a literal crossroads in his home. His intent is that local councils will view tiny homes as legitimate affordable housing options rather than mere zoning enforcement headaches. He says local governments don’t know how to handle someone like him. On top of it all, he is proactively searching for solutions in often-unfriendly housing territory.
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