The Sooke Lifelong Learning Program hosted a well-attended seminar on Tiny Home Communities: Affordable Living on March 2, presented by author and tiny home aficionado Lorrie Beauchamp.
About 50 participants joined in person at the Sooke library or through Zoom to hear Beauchamp’s presentation on the possibilities and benefits of tiny home villages in Sooke.
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Beauchamp used colourful slides and shared her extensive research, inviting attendees to consider reducing their living expenses, living in a more environmentally-sustainable manner, and returning to a style of village living.
The seminar highlighted the obstacles facing the tiny home movement, including the stigma of affordable living and the bylaws that severely restrict tiny homes.
Attendees discussed the imminent and increasing density in the Sooke area, the need to find suitable land for these villages, and the limited demands on existing infrastructure.
Beauchamp also drew attention to Margaret Atwood’s global Practical Utopias campaign, summarizing some of the innovative worlds designed by international teams last year. These “utopias” promoted smaller, hub-like living, back to nature, no cars, integrated gardening, and efficient use of the planet’s resources.
“The median price for a home in Sooke last year was over $800,000,” Beauchamp said. “And a fancy new truck can cost over $90,000. If you can buy a tiny home for as little as $50,000, isn’t it worth fighting harder to have this solution available to those of us who want it?”
Seminar participants remained after the presentation to continue the discussion, with another meeting planned to establish an action plan. A survey is available on https://peerpublishing.wordpress.com/, and the results will be used to launch a petition.
Lorrie Beauchamp can be contacted at lorriebeauchamp@gmail.com.
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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