Micro-housing lets you cut housing costs in half

For people just starting out in life, it’s becoming more difficult to afford a place to live. Bunking up with several roommates is becoming more common around the country.

Some time ago, I talked to flight attendant who had two children recently. When her home flight base was closed, she had to transfer to another one in a different city, and her only recourse was to share an apartment with 15 other attendants. She said that everyone had their own bunk bed, taking up all the rooms in the apartment. But this was the only way to make it affordable.

But what about living in a 250 sq. ft. condo — roughly one-tenth the size of a typical house in America? By using intelligent design, such accommodations may not be roomy, but they are functional. These spaces rent for about $600 to $900 a month compared with $1,200 and up in metro areas, according to The Seattle Times.

The Habitat for Humanity homes I help build use computer-aided design to utilize every inch of available space. This allows them to build 4 bedroom, 2 bath homes with only 1,000 square feet. The upshot is, if we can live with less, we can make places for people that are decent and affordable.