Happy summer !

FANTASTIC NEWS! The Movable Tiny House ADU Pilot Program passed unanimously at the Ojai City Council (CA) meeting on August 10, 2021!

I, along with many dedicated advocates, spent many years trying to pass a tiny house ordinance in Ojai, so I'm thrilled this is finally moving forward! Read more in previous newsletters HERE HERE and HERE.

BIG THANKS to Ojai City Council members Suza Francina and William Weirick for their diligence after many years of advocacy! Sincere thanks to the rest of City Council members for making this a unanimous vote: Randy Haney, Betsy Stix and Ryan Blatz!

The Pilot Program will have a second reading at the Ojai City Council, then if it passes, 30 days after it becomes effective.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORDINANCE HERE

This effort has a long history which started in 2016 in Ojai (5 years ago!). It would not have been possible without years of advocacy by THIA President Dan Fitzpatrick and many dedicated supporters. Quite simply THANK YOU!

WHAT DOES THE NEW TINY HOUSE PILOT PROJECT MEAN?

This new ordinance will allow a property owner in the City of Ojai to place a tiny home on wheels or moveable tiny home (MTH) as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) in their backyard, and it will be LEGAL as a permanent dwelling. Currently it is not legal to live in a tiny home on wheels or MTH as a permanent dwelling.

The Moveable Tiny Home will need to comply to the guidelines in the ordinance (ie: hook up to sewer and permanent utilities, skirting wheels with a deck, proper pad, ANSI certification). 10 tiny home placements will be available per year. With this ordinance, Moveable Tiny Homes will count for RHNA numbers towards affordable housing - a huge benefit for the City of Ojai.

Efforts will be made to keep the rental rates fair to mitigate rent gouging, especially in the midst of skyrocketing housing prices in Ojai.

As we struggle to find solutions to the housing crisis, it's sobering to know that efforts like this is being put into place.

Even more important, tiny houses have minimal footprint on our planet and good to Mother Earth. As we experience temperatures rising and raging fires across the country, living tiny is a solution for so many reasons.

Cheers to living tiny!

Many of you have been following my journey with the Tiny House Prefab. I visited the factory a few days ago to review paint color selections. I was excited to see the progress! The exterior siding is primed and ready for final paint color, the interior is completed with drywall and ready for cabinetry.

I can't believe this Tiny House Prefab will be completed soon! Site installation will take place in a few months in Santa Paula, CA. We're waiting for the construction of the main house to be completed before this Tiny House ADU is placed on the property. Stay tuned for more!

BACKSTORY OF THE PREFAB TINY HOUSE:
LEGAL, MOBILE & EASILY PERMITTED

For many years, I've tried to come up with a solution to legalize tiny homes as a permanent dwelling. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring it was structurally sound and built to code. Tiny houses are on wheels (or MTH) do not comply to model code simply because they are on wheels, therefore cannot be considered a permanent dwelling.

In 2020, a new code Appendix Q was adopted in the Residential Building Code. This code allowed for tiny houses (structures under 400sf) to be built on a permanent foundation. But how about tiny house on wheels?

The benefit of tiny houses on wheels (or moveable tiny homes) is its mobility, and I wanted to find a way for tiny homes to comply to building code, yet still be mobile. ANSI or RVIA certification is one pathway, but these units are built primarily for travel like RV's or recreational vehicles. ANSI certification is not as stringent as building code compliance (ie: International Residential Code).

WHAT DID I FIND AS THE SOLUTION? A Sol Haus Prefab Tiny House! The Tiny House Prefab is completely built and finished in the factory, inspected and permitted by the state (HCD). Because prefab modules are built in factories, they're much more efficient to build and permit. Permit processing with local jurisdictions (traditional stick building) usually takes 6 months to a year. Factory built units (or FBH) takes only 3 months!

THE PREFAB IS MOBILE! When the structure is installed on a permanent foundation, the unit can be moved again to another site at a later time. We've designed the foundation connection so that the anchor bolts can be removed from the stem wall foundation.

The Tiny House Prefab allows for mobility and flexibility, so as your life changes, so can your home! Your tiny home can move with you :) As our times requires more adaptability, it's nice to know our home can remain flexible as life changes.

It's time for a better way to build... And a better way to live.

SUBSCRIBE HERE and read previous newsletters HERE