Essex mayor builds tiny home for different reasons

Tiny homes in Essex Essex is exploring how tiny homes can help with the housing crisis. Windsor’s Bob Bellacicco explains.

Laneway Homes has a lot of tiny home projects on the go.

“They're becoming very, very popular,” said company president and CEO Dan Radmore.

The concept is popular enough Essex mayor Sherry Bondy built an Additional Dwelling Unit in her Harrow backyard.

“I have a big family so, you know, we're going to be looking at my older children living here so they have their own space. Also looking at potential rental income into my future,” she said.

Bondy also wanted to show creating tiny homes is possible in urban areas. She invited neighbours to check it out the 430-squar- foot home that took almost three months to build at a cost near $180,000.

The ADU has a living room, a good sized kitchen with an island, bathroom and bedroom with a walk in closet that includes a washer and dryer.

“They're nice,” said Dennis Tuffin who is considering an ADU in his backyard. “I got some stepchildren and they would probably be pretty interested in this one daughter that, really loves tiny homes.”

His wife Leah loved what she saw.

“I think it's a great investment. I think this is plenty for somebody to live comfortably,” said Tuffin.

More and more people are buying in because of the affordability factor according to Radmore.

“We're getting a lot of interest every day. We get multiple leads that come in and people are asking a lot of questions.”

Neighbours are trying to get around concerns like privacy, drainage and the culture change in the neighbourhood, things that were brought up to the Committee of Adjustment in Bondy's case.

“I'm adequate for drainage, I'm adequate for amenity space and the privacy concerns really aren't there when once you see the build,” Bondy said while pointing out her ADU obstructs her view into the neighbour’s yards.

Bondy feels ADU’s are the way of the future for multiple reasons including a minimal carbon footprint and because it takes away from being a throwaway society.

“We have to start looking at, this is what our future neighborhoods are going to look like and it's not a bad thing,” said Bondy.