Tiny House Projects and Newsworthy Articles in New England
Introducing Redwing Cottage
Overview and background
Redwing Cottage is the culmination of years of preparation and will highlight the steps in the planning and building of a movable ADU in Dalton, Massachusetts.
After running the numbers, building a conventional ADU is beyond my reach (and probably beyond the reach of many). At nearly $500 per square foot, building an ADU remains the privilege of home owners who have access to equity (folks who bought years ago and had their properties appraise significantly.) But even some of those folks may not have enough equity when the cost to build an ADU can be $250,000 or more.
Therefore, I am advocating to bring movable tiny houses as ADUs to Dalton, Massachusetts. This one-year effort continues to be challenging in the face of NIMBY opposition despite clear goals in the Master Plan to develop a variety of housing.
iBerkshires, February, 2024
DALTON, Mass. — The Planning Board will discuss how to proceed with a proposed movable tiny homes bylaw during its meeting on Feb. 19.
Accessory Dwelling Unit subcommittee member Amy Turnbull expressed her frustration with the board's delay in taking action on the proposal to authorize movable tiny homes if certain requirements are met.
A movable tiny home is defined as a unit under 400 square feet that meets all of someone's daily needs, including sanitation, cooking, and other facilities, and which is also mobile.
The board has been discussing the fate of tiny homes since last February, following a presentation by Tiny Home Industry Association President Dan Fitzpatrick.
During the meeting, Fitzpatrick demonstrated the benefits of movable tiny homes for buyers and community members, including its affordability, energy efficiency, and ease of location, hookup, and maintenance.
The only difference between movable tiny homes and ADUs is that movable tiny homes have wheels, he said.
During the Jan. 15 meeting, Turnbull emphasized that movable tiny homes are also more affordable.
The movable tiny home would need to be licensed and registered with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles and be certified that it meets requirements set by the American National Standards Institute or the National Fire Protection Association standards, Turnbull's proposal says.
A common misconception that often concerns residents is the idea that movable tiny homes are conventional travel trailers or motorhomes, Fitzpatrick said, but they are not. Movable tiny homes are built to resemble a typical cottage or bungalow.
Turnbull initially proposed an amendment to the town's ADU bylaw to permit movable tiny homes, provided they meet the same requirements established by the bylaw that was passed in 2022.
The bylaw allows detached ADUs by special permit, and ADUs within an existing structure would not require a special permit.
Since the vote, however, the state has updated its law to allow ADUs up to 900 square feet without local zoning approval if they meet specific requirements. This state law is effective starting in February.
The town's bylaw is more restrictive than the state law so, the board needs to update its bylaw to align with the state.
In December, the board voted to amend its Accessory Dwelling Unit bylaw one step at a time to make it more agreeable to voters.
During that meeting, board members said separating the ADU bylaw from the mobile/movable tiny house regulation would prevent confusion because it would allow each issue to be addressed clearly and distinctly.
"Honestly, whether we ever get back to that movable part and decide on it as a planning board, my feelings are that it probably won't go there, and I think between the two of us, we're just going to file a petition, and get enough signatures and have it on the ballot anyway," Planning Board member Jarred Mongeon said during January's meeting.
During the January meeting, Turnbull also argued that the board does not need to rush to update the bylaw because the change in state law makes the current bylaw unenforceable.
She highlighted how working to adjust the bylaw is a waste of time, considering how the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is drafting regulations to provide clarity on how towns can administer the new ADU law.
"There's been a lot of talk about how really this bill by [Gov. Maura Healey] has done nothing to help ADUs because it does not address dimensional setbacks…[or] lot coverage, and there's some concern about that," she said.
Turnbull recommended postponing updating the town's ADU bylaw to comply with the new state law and discuss movable tiny homes.
"I would like you guys to vote on it next month because I want to know how you sit with that. I want it to be officially stated you support it or you don't support it, and I'm hoping that when you do that, you say, why," Turnbull said.
"So, that Jared and I can go forward and either do a petition, which I'm not in favor of, because I really want you guys to be on board with it, and I'm willing to spend another year on it because I think it's important.
Movable Tiny House ADU Host Incentive Program, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Local advocacy
The Movable Tiny House ADU Host Incentive Program was an advocacy effort, in collaboration with The American Tiny House Association, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This program wanted to create a funding source to finance tiny house pads and infrastructure to host movable tiny houses on host properties. Update: the ATHA proposal was passed over.
MADU Warrior
The Berkshire Eagle, February, 2025
DALTON — Amy Turnbull has a plan.
When she retires five years from now, she will move into a movable tiny home on the lot beside her duplex. The tiny home will be American with Disabilities Act accessible, accommodating her mobility needs as she ages, and the rent from the duplex will help her live comfortably on an otherwise fixed income and modest savings.
That vision hinges on one thing — the town’s approval.
A year ago, Turnbull asked the Dalton Planning Board to expand their definition of accessory dwelling units to include movable tiny homes, which are smaller than traditional ADUs and built on a permanent chassis instead of a foundation. Since then, the state has passed legislation allowing ADUs by right statewide. But the legislation did not include movable tiny homes, effectively leaving it up to individual towns and cities' discretion whether to allow them.
A year ago, Amy Turnbull asked the Dalton Planning Board to expand their definition of accessory dwelling units to include movable tiny homes, which can be a cost effective alternative to the larger ADUs that are built on a permanent foundation, while still offering the same benefits.
That's left Turnbull waiting. One year after she first petitioned the Planning Board to allow movable tiny homes, Dalton has yet to seriously review Turnbull's proposal. Planning Board member Robert Collins said the board has not refused to consider movable tiny homes, but has rather decided to table the discussion until they have brought the town’s ADU bylaw into compliance with the new state legislation. Collins said he does not know when that will be.
Turnbull first learned about movable tiny homes when she lived in Los Angeles, where tiny homes have become a popular response to exorbitant housing costs and rising homelessness.
Tiny homes are houses that typically range between 100 and 400 square feet, although some zoning bylaws allow them to reach 600 square feet. Often, tiny homes are built on a chassis, although builders said they can also be built on a permanent foundation.
While movable tiny homes are, as the name suggests, mobile, they’re typically used as permanent housing, said tiny home builder Douglas Smith.
“People can live in these things permanently," Smith said. "That’s the way they’re designed. They’re not designed for seasonal use or part-time use."
People settle on movable tiny homes for a variety of reasons, but it often comes down to affordability and accessibility, Smith said. Turnbull illustrates much of his customer base — single older adults who are looking to downsize affordably.
Turnbull, who is 65, currently lives on the upper floor of her two-story duplex in Dalton. She rents out the bottom floor seasonally, and uses the rental income to pay off her home equity loan.
In five years, Turnbull said she would like to retire from her job at Egremont Elementary School in Pittsfield. But continuing to live in her duplex and pay off the mortgage once she no longer has a steady source of income would be difficult, Turnbull said.
Besides, as she ages, she foresees the house becoming inaccessible.
Older adults who live on low and fixed incomes are among the most financially vulnerable citizens when it comes to rising housing costs. As their finances tighten, older adults often struggle to afford the accessibility and home care services necessary to remain in their homes.
The alternatives can be just as costly. With housing costs still rising across the county, downsizing to a smaller accessible home or apartment can be outside their price range. Assisted living can be even more expensive, and the wait time for subsidized housing can be months or even years.
A painting in Turnbull’s bedroom illustrates a potential solution — a miniature home built in the empty lot next door.
If she could install a movable tiny house in her empty lot, she could afford to keep her home in Dalton, Turnbull said. Opening up both units of the duplex for rent would help her finance the movable tiny home and later have a steady source of income to support her in retirement.
And it would add another apartment unit to the Dalton housing market, Turnbull said.
Used as Turnbull described, movable tiny homes could operate similarly to how the state envisions accessory dwelling units will — as a means to grow housing supply by opening up existing units and creating new ones.
The state and local towns hope that money earned from renting an ADU can help homeowners cover their mortgage, home upkeep or property taxes, while simultaneously providing a home for people in need of a more affordable unit.
“I go back to what’s good for the town, and every town has a master plan,” Turnbull said. “You ask for a variety of housing in your housing goals and you give a nod towards your expansive elderly population who want to age in their own homes. Here’s the perfect way to do that.”
While similar to traditional ADUs, movable tiny homes run $60,000 cheaper. The average cost of a movable tiny home is $120,000, Smith said. The average cost for an ADU built on a permanent foundation is $181,000.
The relative affordability of movable tiny homes has sent demand climbing in recent years — it's "a burgeoning market in New England," Smith said.
In 2023, Great Barrington expanded its definition of ADUs to include movable tiny homes, which are now allowed in any area where an ADU is permitted, as long as the tiny home is being used as a year-round residence.
Turnbull is hoping Dalton will do the same, but she said some members of the Planning Board seem resistant.
Collins said he does not have an opinion at this time whether movable tiny homes should be allowed in town, but he is “open” to the idea.
Don Davis, another Planning Board member, said he has concerns about setbacks and water, sewer and power hookups.
“A movable tiny house, to me, doesn’t appear to be any different than my house trailer that I take with me on trips and go to campgrounds with,” Davis said.
Other members of the Planning Board did not respond to requests for comment.
