(1+1=3) the mathematics of working and dreaming together

Tiny House Community - Bristol started out as one person’s need to proactively do something; anything, to help reduce the UK’s growing housing crisis, whilst also reducing the effect modern living is not only having on the environment, but also on people’s health.

It was Rachel Butler’s idea to create “a community which is big on looking after all its members, particularly the vulnerable,” and to build tiny homes that are realistically affordable in order to reduce financial burden, which in turn would “reduce stress, and create more time for family/wellbeing, increased level of mental & physical health, decreased levels of isolation and loneliness.”

It is this vision that Rachel shared with the Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees, in the form of an email in November 2016, which led to Rachel being introduced to Bristol’s Cabinet Member of Housing and Communities, Cllr Paul Smith. Armed with her new connections, a clear vision, determination, and bags of enthusiasm, Rachel sought out other like-minded people, in the hope of tackling these modern day concerns.

It didn’t take long to realise that there were many who felt the same; there are presently more than 200 members on THC-B’s Facebook page, and almost 2,000 members on the THC-UK page. There are many YouTube pages devoted to those that have already built their tiny homes, most in other countries, such as New Zealand, and the U.S.A. Many are on wheels; many are owned by individual families.

Our aim is to not only change this trend by making tiny home living more of a norm here in the UK, but to also create community based tiny living, that has a low impact on the environment. The potential is endless, from homes for the homeless, to communities for those in need of extra care, to making sure the next generation have an option to have a home they can truly afford. Through consensus, the THC-B put together a mission statement, (one that will be reviewed regularly), which represents the Bristol project:

“We will create an affordable, environmentally responsible, socially responsive, economically sustainable, enterprising, inspiring, and replicable community; on a development of approximately 28 plots for a mix of micro, tiny & small houses, in which the smaller living space of the properties is offset against significantly sized, shared communal areas. The community will be an interconnected, multi-generational co-operative, informed by the characteristics of co-housing; self-supporting and strong through its diversity; offering a vision to Bristol, the United Kingdom and the world of a more responsible way of living.”

So, here we are… in less than a year we have gained the support of Bristol Community Land Trust, Bristol City Council, and Bioregional, amongst others, and our momentum continues to grow. If you’ve stopped by our website; if you’re reading this blog, then possibly you feel the same way too. Just imagine the possibilities.

We are Tiny House Community – Bristol.

Welcome.