Housing 2.0

Another great trending alternative to traditional homes

and apartments has been the school bus conversion practice.

In addition to outrageous pricing in rental property (either 

apartment or house living) there is another awful obstacle

involved for those of us who are pet owners.

The restrictions against the number of animals and the size 

of the animals that tenants are allowed to have have become

standard due to insurance costs. Or at least, that's what leasers

are saying is the reason. 

As far back as 2003, when I was looking for rental 

housing around the Tampa area, I could not find ANY place that 

would take me because of my large-breed dogs. The place I 

finally located was inconveniently far away. in a neighborhood 

that wasn't safe, and with a ridiculously high security deposit.

So, one great solution (for pet owners in particular) is to have

complete control over the rules of your environs. Having a 

mobile living space that you own is the perfect way to do so.

In my search for a bus to convert, I have found that there

are many different conditions of bus available, and of

course just as much variation in price for the differences

in product.

You can find a bus in varying levels of completion/ working

order based on (of course) what finances you have available, 

as well as what your mechanical skills/building abilities are.

But if you're not trying to have the hippest, most

mod bus in existence, you can find a whole spectrum of 

usable buses. For those of us just needing adequate shelter 

this is a great option. (Besides--animals destroy everything 

anyway, so..)

Freedom of how you live and where to live is increasingly

important, so until we arrive at a shortage of available school 

buses due to increased demand, this option still rocks.

What would be awesome is if an entrepreneur of a philanthropic

nature were to set up a business where they buy up used school

buses, spruce them up modestly with a crew of homeless or

poor folks with the appropriate skills, and, Habitat-for-Humanity

style, set up the very people who do the work with a bus-home

of their own.

If you have the money or the space to donate, I can help make

it happen. Any takers?

*** 

Housing

A huge, growing trend in the last decade has been the 'tiny 

home movement,' which arose due to a number of factors.

Affordable housing continues to dwindle, even as wages remain

stagnant. This has led to an epidemic of homelessness in the U.S.

 (and around the world.) Lack of available housing led many

to seek alternatives to traditional (or standardized) ideas 

about dwelling spaces. But it's more than just price reduction.

Americans are increasingly becoming disinterested in the

trap of consumerism, and seek to simplify their lives by 

reducing the number of their possessions. Having a much

smaller space in which to store 'Things' makes that goal

infinitely easier to achieve.

Out of necessity, folks without the means to jump into a full-scale

tiny-home had been finding themselves living in metal buildings,

sales of which had gone up as more and more were becoming

emboldened to take to that lifestyle. Needless to say, in our 

prestige-obsessed society, living in metal buildings was not as 

warmly-received by the media or the general public as folks

living in adorable, custom-built, trend-following homes.

There was definitely a stigma attached to people who were

'living in their shed/garage.' Baby steps.

As people become more comfortable with bucking the

traditional, limited way of approaching life, not only does

a particular trend gain steam but it also opens the doors to

other progressive ideas. We are--and will be--seeing all kinds

of innovation in our housing realities. It all starts with 

opening our minds to new housing concepts.

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