Written in Granite: Tiny homes could solve big problem

Let’s lay down the foundation, Granite Staters.

What do you think of tiny homes? Could they solve the affordability crisis and perhaps also provide the homeless and veterans-in-need a welcoming space of their own?

I’m fascinated by these little houses. They look tidy and charming, and best of all, these homes could work well in any community, especially Southern New Hampshire. More than 53% of the state’s population resides in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties.

Maybe I’m just dreaming “big,” but I’m in favor of House Bill 1681, which would establish statewide standards “… for innovative housing structures such as tiny houses, tiny houses on wheels, and yurts, allowing their use as single-family or accessory dwellings, setting inspection and permitting requirements, authorizing municipal property tax assessments, regulating transport, and permitting grey water disposal systems.”

The bill goes on to describe a tiny house, in part, as “a living space permanently constructed on a stable surface, ground, or footing and designed for use as permanent living quarters that does not exceed 400 square feet in size and is not a trailer, semitrailer, camp trailer, or recreational vehicle.”

The Senate Commerce Committee is reviewing the just-passed House legislation. Then, the full state Senate will vote on it.

Let’s be serious. Southern New Hampshire needs more housing. And we cannot forget our most vulnerable individuals, like our veterans and the homeless. Nashua is dealing with a growing “unhoused” situation.

The aldermen recently voted to table the purchase of the property at 14 Mulberry St. in Nashua. It would’ve cost a whopping $4.5 million to renovate the large old house as a resource center/warming station/transitional units. They made the right decision.

So, could tiny homes work in the Gate City? And where could they be located?

Michael Danis, the president/iwner of Danis Construction Co., Inc., of Lyndeborough, has the right approach. That’s why his company expanded with a new division called Tiny Houses of NH. He spoke with WMUR-NewsNine Political Director Adam Sexton about how these tiny innovative structures could offer much more for the future:

“If we can standardize it, and we can legitimize that they are actually homes, then they can be sold through the real estate market. Right now, they’re sold as a novelty. People buy them as a camper or a hunting cabin, but if we want to alleviate the housing crisis, we have to create more housing.”

Tiny houses are allowed in the Granite State but are often challenging to establish in a community. By approving HB 1681, they could be consolidated as a housing option under state law. That means tiny homes would be subject to all the same building code requirements, making lenders more likely to grant mortgages and loans. It would be great to see federal funding for tiny homes; that could be a game-changer.

Tiny houses are cheaper to construct, and Danis says they can certainly fill a need. “I think it opens up a whole new market for people who can’t afford to spend $500,000 on a house, but maybe they could afford $150,000 or $200,000.”

Then the big question is, how would tiny homes be classified? Jim Michaud, the chief assessor for the town of Hudson, spoke to the committee, saying that “The bill talks about how these structures may be taxed? RSA 72:6 says that all real estate, whether improved or unimproved, shall be taxed, except as otherwise provided.”

No freebies here, especially when New Hampshire (the fifth smallest state) has among the highest property taxes in the country.