Student-led tiny residence challenge lays foundation for reasonably priced housing conversations

‘Healthy, steady, affordable’

The small dwelling motion has developed in level of popularity in latest several years – with a visible spike through the coronavirus pandemic – but metropolis land-use codes and zoning regulations typically current boundaries for people interested in substitute housing choices.

“For little residences to be a viable metropolis alternative, communities should do the job with municipalities to advocate for ordinances that combine tiny property village language, which will develop current housing solutions,” mentioned Delgado.

Fort Collins planners Sylvia Tatman-Burruss and Ryan Mounce are doing work to update the language in the city’s Land Use Code to be extra inclusive of more compact housing models or other substitute dwellings.

In March, the interdepartmental staff finished an update to the city’s Housing Strategic Program, which now consists of language and guidance to attain its vision of making certain every person in the town has entry to nutritious, steady, economical housing.

The system assesses who at present has entry to these types of housing, with layout approaches for all residents regardless of standing or identity addresses residents’ physical and psychological properly-being recognizes housing as “the most important platform for pursuing all other everyday living goals” and a need for quality of lifestyle and health and fitness and makes sure sufficient housing supply to avoid inhabitants from ever having to expend far more than 30% of their revenue on housing.

Tatman-Burruss is functioning with CSU graduate student Maria Steffen and political science senior Lauren Myli to compile and consider definitions for conditions this sort of as “tiny properties on wheels” and “accessory dwelling units” – evaluating how towns these kinds of as Seattle and Denver have included and applied them.

“The learners are helping us fully grasp facets of our code that are constraining,” stated Tatman-Burruss. “We system to consider their get the job done and have that advise our technique to smaller sized dwelling units in distinct parts of the town. It is really beneficial get the job done.”