It’s one of Oregon’s biggest problems: lack of affordable housing and overall homelessness. And according to state data, Oregon is short at least 110,000 housing units, according to a 2022 analysis.

There is a growing movement to try and cut into that massive shortfall, and though described as tiny, it’s also mighty – the tiny home movement.

Depending on the chosen definition, a tiny home is somewhere less than 400 square feet, and variations of it can even be as small as 60 square feet. And a tiny home can serve different needs. For some, a tiny home is a permanent residence for people who’ve downsized their life and downsized their spending. For others, a tiny home is a temporary clean and safe shelter from homelessness.

On this edition of Oregon On the Record we talk about tiny homes in our state and talked to the people who run them, the city of Eugene department that helps plan for housing, as well as a couple of tenants who believe their tiny home changed their lives forever. Our guests on the show include:

· Annie Loe, Urban Design Planner with the City of Eugene

· Dan Bryant, Executive Director of Square One Villages

· Heather Quaas Annsa and Tabitha Eck of Community Supported Shelters

· And two residents of tiny home villages in Eugene and Portland respectively, Paul Miller and Roona Vidracia

While agreeing that tiny homes along won’t solve homelessness nor the housing crisis in our community, they cannot be overlooked as a big part of the overall solution.

For more information about tiny home villages go to:

Square One Villages

Community Supported Shelters

WeShine Village