Since 2015 a group of Oakland residents have developed a practical strategy to house themselves affordably while living lighter on the environment than most of their neighbors. Instead of renting a large house and dividing up the rooms and hallways, this group leased a large lot and moved their tiny homes on wheels onto it.  They developed thoughtful pipeless infrastructure to safely deal with their wastewater and create energy to power their homes using permaculture principles.

They hold a lease, pay taxes, insurance, trash service, water service, internet service, and sanitation service. They are an intergenerational, multi-racial, eco-village that lives lightly on the land and on their pocketbooks.  

Neighborship should be championed as a model of sustainable affordable housing. Instead, the city of Oakland's code enforcement division is forcing them to shut down and move onto the streets based on an outdated law that states that trailers behind a fence are "blight" and must be removed.   

Oakland City Council needs to neutralize these outdated anti-trailer laws. Legalize Tiny Homes on wheels in all contexts. There are many affordable housing models that are not happening because of fear of these draconian laws. Backyard Tiny Homes that could serve as income to aging homeowners are not possible because of these laws. Tiny Home Communities are not possible because of these laws. RV parks are not allowed in virtually every zone of the city by design.  

Rewrite the zoning laws! Rewrite the code! Stop the harassment of working people housing themselves. 

It's 2021. Legalize Tiny Homes in Oakland Now!

-Neighborship.org