Re: Tiny houses not the solution for Nelson (Letters, August 30)
Joern Wingender is way too negative about tiny houses. Here are some considerations on the other side.
1. A major advantage of tiny houses is that they can be built on small urban plots that would otherwise not be used. Such in-fills provide one economical way of achieving greater residential density.
2. These houses can normally be readily linked to existing infrastructure, such as water and sewage pipes.
3. The occupants of tiny houses in Nelson could usually live without owning a car. This is an advantage for people on low incomes.
4. The multi-unit buildings that Mr. Wingender champions are fine in theory but (for the most part) not feasible. The “single city block” that might accommodate such structures is very hard to find in Nelson. Land is now scarce for buildings of the sort that have been constructed on (say) Radio Avenue during the past decade — and these do not offer affordable housing.
Tiny houses clearly have a role to play in efficiently augmenting our housing stock.
Bob Malcolmson
Nelson