Across the country, cities are searching for a solution to a nation-wide urban housing crisis. Many major cities, both DC, Boston, New York, even Vancouver and other international cities – are lacking affordable housing options for singles, young professionals, and empty nesters. Cities are struggling to retain talented young people and looking for innovative solutions to draw and keep innovators, entrepreneurs, etc in the city center. Boston’s Mayor Menino recently reduced the minimum rentable unit to 375 square feet from 425, at the same time calling for developers to meet this need for smaller, affordable housing.
The cool part, though, is some of these solutions trade private space for communal space, providing shared work spaces, kitchens, and living rooms. In New York, these types of buildings are taking up some old SRO’s (Single Room Occupancies, usually provided through social services) and were the topic of a recent conference, organized by the Citizens Housing and Planning Council. In Vancouver they are “microlofts”, similarly in a renovated SRO in the Gastown district. These units are still not renting cheaply ($800-$1500 in Boston, NYC, and Vancouver) – but they ARE meeting a need for cheapER housing that fosters a sense of community among demographics often lacking this opportunity.
Cohousing is still cooler, but for those without resources to buy and requiring little private space, these are pretty nifty little spaces!
For further reading:
Article on New York SRO conversion and innovative housing: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/arts/design/jonathan-kirschenfeld-reimagines-the-sro-in-the-bronx.html?scp=3&sq=sro&st=cse
Boston, Mayor Menino Calls for Mico-Units: http://bostonglobe.com/business/2011/12/13/menino-pushes-micro-units-lure-young-waterfront/Qye00OdXNMV3Dl5NESi50K/story.html#share-nav
Vancouver Living Small in Gastown: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Living+small+West+Hastings/5881000/story.html
Posted by: Rebecca Disbrow Cohousing Collaborative, LLC