Australians need housing options that are affordable, flexible and eco-friendly, but we are not moving quickly enough to legalise tiny house living. Most councils don't have legislation that allows people to live in them full-time.

Over in Queensland, the government is using Tiny Houses on Wheels (THOWs) to help with housing shortages in places like the Shire of Gympie. But elsewhere in Queensland, the Sunshine Coast Council is kicking single mums out of their THOWs.

This needs to change to support more people to have a safe and secure roof over their heads. We are calling for moveable tiny houses to be recognised as an option for permanent living for all Australians.

There is currently no national definition in Australia of what a Tiny House on Wheels is, where they can be located, who can live in them and for how long. Australians wanting to live in a Tiny House on Wheels often face contradictory advice and uncertainty when discussing their dream with local government officers.

The Australian Tiny House Association has advocated for a consistent and reasonable approval process to allow people to live this way for more than 6 years. Some pioneering councils such as Esperance, WA, Surf Coast, VIC, and Mount Alexander, VIC see that Tinys can help in the housing crisis. We want to increase this momentum to assist Australians to have access to affordable, legal housing.

We are calling on Federal, State and Territory Governments to recognise, accept and enable moveable tiny houses on wheels as an innovative dwelling typology distinct from caravans and fixed buildings so that they are part of the mix of strategies to address housing supply for the benefit of all Australians.

Please help us get 10,000 signatures, sign now!

For more information on the Australian Tiny House Association’s advocacy work and to join as a member go to: https://tinyhouse.org.au/  

Photo by Andrew Carter "Swallowtail" by The Tiny House Company