The municipality of Assen is in talks with the province of Drenthe and housing corporation Actium about identifying locations to carry out an experiment with Tiny Houses.
Translation by Traci White
The Asser Courant reports that the municipality and the province are considering building a number of Tiny Houses on the outskirts of Assen. Tiny Houses are literally very small homes that have become increasingly popular in some countries in recent years among people seeking a simpler, more affordable and less ecologically taxing lifestyle.
The main candidate locations are close to natural lands, but the province generally does not permit residential development in such areas. Across the Netherlands, strict rules are in place for residential developments, typically requiring them to remain within existing city limits in order to keep urban sprawl in check.
During a meeting between municipality and province representatives in November, the two parties discussed whether there was a way to make an exception for the Tiny Houses “if they can be created in such a way that they have added value for the area.” The province has issued a detailed analysis of each of the possible locations.
The next step will be for housing corporation Actium to look into building structures that are built for shorter term use for people with a limited income. The Municipal Executive says they will enter talks with Actium next year about creating small mobile homes.
Photo source: Tiny House/flickr
