What Happened to the Tiny Homes Revolution?

Tiny homes were one of the hot button topics of the previous decade. In 2023? Not so much.

2 minute read

August 14, 2023, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A tiny home in a residential neighborhood.

Vacation home, homeless shelter, or accessory dwelling unit? | Natalia / Adobe Stock

An article by Eve Andrews for Grist critiques the tiny homes movement—an idea that seems to have come and gone in the public consciousness, not to mention the newsfeeds of planning publications.

What once seemed like a revolution in housing and culture—born from a crisis of housing affordability and the ravages of the Great Recession—now seems like an “Instagram aesthetic,” according to Andrews.

But for all the hubbub, tiny houses never really entered the mainstream realm of homeownership. Instead, they entered the province of tourists seeking a brief decampment to a smaller-scale, climate-friendly lifestyle. You’re more likely to encounter one while scrolling through $300-a-night Airbnb listings than browsing Zillow.

Still, Andrews is unwilling to call the tiny homes movement a failure, rather it’s more of a victim of unrealistic expectations: “[T]he expectations placed upon it were too high: that it could take on all the sins of a bloated, profit-driven housing industry, and deliver us as a nation to a humbler, happier way of living,” writes Andrews.

The source article, linked below, includes a while history of the tiny homes movement, including the highs provided by the debut of a Netflix home improvement show in 2014, Tiny House Nation, to the lows of the Airbnb-ification of the movement.

Andrews also sees some reason for optimism that the ideas that birthed the tiny homes movement still have a chance at wider adoption, including in the resources tiny homes provide people experiencing homelessness and as a popular new typology of housing, the accessory dwelling unit.

Tuesday, August 1, 2023 in Grist

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

People sitting and walking in plaza in front of historic Benton County Courthouse in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners

How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

March 28, 2025 - Emily McCoy

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

5 hours ago - Honolulu Civil Beat

View of wide street in downtown Boise, Idaho with state capitol visible at end of street and blurred traffic going both directions at dusk.

Idaho Data: Unexpected Vehicle Repairs Exacerbate Housing Instability, Eviction Risk

Over 21 percent of clients struggle with transportation barriers.

7 hours ago - Idaho Capital Sun

Small, brightly lit bedroom with flowery sheets on single bed in supportive housing or nursing home.

A Year-Long Investigation On Permanent Supportive Housing

The New York Times reveals what’s working and what’s not in the cornerstone of Housing First.

April 6 - The New York Times