4 Best Ways to Join The Tiny House Movement & Communities

The best part about owning a tiny house is that you get a built-in community.

Having a community as a resource is a great way to expand your knowledge about downsizing.

This is especially important for first-time homeowners who are still learning how to adjust.

Having a group of like-minded people there to support you through this process is priceless.

But, how can you become involved in the tiny house movement and community?  Wanting to take part in the movement and actually being in it are two different things.

So, how do you start?

Here are the best ways to join the tiny house movement so that you can do your part!

1) Great Online Communities!

Any type of neighborhood is going to have a community of people who gather and discuss ideas and solutions.  But, what do you do if your type of community is spread out across the world?

Unless you are living in a designated tiny house neighborhood, chances are there aren’t too many houses near you.  This is where the magic of the internet comes in handy.

Online communities are a great way to jump right into the tiny house movement without having to actually leave your house.  Here you can keep up with changes to the law as well find helpful tips to common tiny house problems.

Best of all you can connect with people all over the world to see how they are living their best-downsized life.

What Are The Best Online Communities For Tiny Houses?

Generally finding a community for everyday things is a simple task flooded with thousands of resources.  However, in the case of tiny houses, there are fewer to choose from.

This is actually a good thing.  This means that you don’t have to search through pages of water-downed sites to find your people.

So, what are the best online sites that connect the tiny house’s community?  Here are our favorites:

• The Tiny House Community 

When it comes to this website – it is all in the name!  This is one of the best resources for people who want to become more active in the tiny house movement.

This is not only a great way to connect with other people but a great way to get some help.

Through this website, you can be linked to certified builders as well as experts when it comes to permits.

• The Tiny House Forum 

The Tiny House Forum is an offshoot of a popular tiny house blog.

Along with getting great tips for how to live in a tiny house, you can connect with other members of the community.

The best part of using a forum to connect with people is that you can choose how involved you want to me.  You can be a fly on the wall and just observe or you can lead the charge when it comes to workshop ideas.

• Tiny House Talk

If you are looking more for a resource and less of a community, Tiny House Talk is the way to go.

This website explores all of the common questions people have about the tiny house movement.

From there you can find answers to all of your building and permit questions as well as design ideas.

Best of all, you can scroll through design plans in hopes of giving you some tiny house inspiration!

2) Impact Your Local Government

Anyone will tell you that the best way to create change is to be proactive.  The best way to be proactive in the tiny house movement is to take part in local government.

This doesn’t mean that you need to run for policial office either – unless that’s your kind of thing!

There are plenty of ways to get involved.

How Can You Get Involved?

Finding ways to get involved in your local government is a great way to be a changing part of the tiny house community.  But, what are the ways that YOU can get involved?  Here are some ways to be the change from the inside out:

• Town Hall Meetings

Every town holds a meeting for the community at least once a month.  This is required by the government as a way to help hold your government accountable and make your voice heard.  At these meetings, residents are encouraged to attend.

Here you can ask questions, demand action and even work to change laws in your local government.  Taking part in these meetings is a great way to show up for the tiny house movement.

• Establish A Committee 

Everyone knows that real change comes to demanding action.  Setting up a government based committee focused on the tiny house community is a great way to enact change.

Through these types of committees, you can present new laws as well as change the way people think about downsizing.

• Run For Office

For some people, it isn’t enough to support from the sidelines.  These people are the right kind of people we need in our government.

Running for a local office is a great way to display your unique agenda when it comes to tiny houses.

This can not only help to move your agenda forward but also can help to erase the stigma that comes along with tiny house living.

How Can Local Government Help The Tiny House Movement?

One of the biggest obstacles people who want to move to a tiny house face is stubborn permit laws and restrictions.

The people who are in charge of changing these laws are the ones in your local government.  Each state has its own set of laws surrounding tiny houses.  This is how you know that the change has to happen locally instead of nationally.

Here’s more information on EXACTLY how the law works for tiny houses (for each state).

3) Find Local Meet-Ups

A great way to connect with the tiny house community is to meet with others who are looking to connect face-to-face.  One way to do this is to find a meet-up being held in your area.

There are hundreds of tiny house conventions and round table discussions that happen all over the world throughout the year. 

This is a great opportunity for people to meet and share ideas.  However, it is much more than that!  These conventions also allow you to keep up with the constant changes within the movement itself.  Here you can see new innovative designs as well as find new ways to get involved.

Having trouble finding a meet-up near you?  Not every area is exactly tiny house friendly.  This means that it can be difficult to find meetings near you.  The best way to solve this problem is to be a trendsetter!  Start by reaching out to other local downsizers and get a gathering in place.  Word spreads like fire.  You may find that in no time you will have plenty of new faces interested in your cause.

 

4) Join The Social Conversation

Message boards and meetings are a great way to connect.  But, did you know that there is an even easier way? Social media is not only a great place to share jokes, but it is also a great place to connect with people who feel the same way you to about downsizing.

Through social media giants like Facebook and Twitter, you can find events, causes to donate to as well as thousands of suggestions for how to live in a tiny house.  This puts you right in the center of the movement. 

While not everyone is going to be searching thousands of message boards, almost everyone will be checking their profile daily.

The best way to get started is to do a simple search for tiny houses in your social profile.  From there you can search through hundreds of groups of people who are more than willing to share what they have learned.  The endless resource is the perfect way to step out of your comfort zone and get in the center of it all!

 

Wrapping It Up!

Any great movement started with just one person.  Why shouldn’t it be you?

While the tiny house movement has been in full swing for decades, there is still so much to learn.  A movement cannot exist unless it is constantly changing and adapting.  Being a part of that change is the best way to get involved.  So, be vocal and be diligent!  One day people may regard you as a vital piece to the movement.

Good luck.