To each his own roof | Small houses and big ambitions

This summer, the editorial team of The Press offers you a series of texts on urban densification as the key to overcoming the housing crisis, a widespread issue throughout Quebec that will certainly be at the heart of the next election campaign.

How much space do you need in your single family home?

A kitchen ? Two lounges? Three rooms ? Four bathrooms?

Over the decades, we have become increasingly greedy for square meters of living space. In 1975, the average size of a single-family detached house was around 100 m² (1050 square feet). In 2010, new houses under construction measured an average of 180 m² (1950 square feet). Houses almost twice as big… while their number of occupants decreased, going from 3.5 people to 2.5 people.

Densification forces us to question the size of the houses we occupy. Between suburban neo-mansions and the “little 2 and a half” stuck in a tower, new buyers, and young families in particular, are open to other proposals.

Post-war single-family homes were modest in size — about 80 m² (850 ft²). They have continued to grow over the years, becoming a marker of success from generation to generation. Today, the average single-family home in Canada is about 165 m² (1790 ft²).

A pandemic later, land and house prices have skyrocketed across the country. In many cases, new buyers have to reassess their needs and their means.

Downsizing homes can be a way to make these properties more affordable, while reducing their environmental footprint.

In the United States, the concept of pocket neighborhood, designed by architect Ross Chapin, consists of planting houses, generally very small, around a common green space. The concept’s emblematic project, located in Langley, Washington, brings together eight houses on a lot that would normally only have accommodated four. Each of Langley’s houses has a living area of ​​no more than 90 m² (975 ft²), sufficient for one person or a couple. Residents have access to several common facilities, such as a community hall, a tool shed, a large garden and storage areas. Cars are parked away from the properties.

Community life and the voluntary simplicity implied by this type of development are certainly not made for everyone… But the concept is gaining popularity in the United States.

The idea of ​​creating neighborhoods of small houses is also generating interest in Quebec. Residential projects of small houses are being developed, but few have yet emerged from the ground. They are not necessarily designed in the community and urban spirit of pocket neighborhoods and often bring together second homes that can be rented out — we could then speak of a densification of chalets…

However, several factors dampen the enthusiasm of municipalities to develop neighborhoods of these tiny houses. The fear of seeing the pattern of mobile home parks repeat itself — very affordable housing, but of very average quality and unattractive — worries not only municipalities, but also mortgage lenders.

Will the value of these homes increase at the same rate as the rest of the market? Especially if they were built with cheap materials?

Others point out that the property tax revenues of these small houses are less attractive than for the larger ones. To compensate for the loss of this income while the cost of connection to public services (sewers, water supply, roads, etc.) remains high, these small houses must therefore be very close to each other. They also do not escape densification.

There is nevertheless food for thought on the size of single-family homes offered in a densified real estate development. Just by seeing the amount of TV shows devoted to tiny houses or the motorhome, we understand that there is a great interest in a way of life that is both independent and simple. All that remains is to find a (small) place for it.