The scaling up of the tiny house niche in Quebec – transformations and continuities in the housing regime

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes recent developments within the tiny house niche from a sustainability transition perspective through a case study in Quebec, Canada. The methods include documentation of tiny house developments and semi-structured interviews. The main findings are that most tiny houses in Quebec are being built as conventional, single-use, low-density, single-family detached home developments on greenfield in remote locations. Thus, recent developments in the tiny house niche resulted in incremental rather than radical changes to the housing regime practices. Furthermore, rural municipalities facing devitalisation are more prone to accepting greenfield development for their short-term benefits, while medium cities and municipalities in metropolitan areas are only planning to authorise tiny houses as accessory dwelling units as part of an infill development strategy. This suggests that tiny houses are contributing to a pattern of uneven geographical development. Interviews point at two systemic barriers that explain why tiny houses are developed in this way: the political economy of housing and sustainable urban planning policies and regulations. In the discussion, we suggest actions at the municipal, provincial and federal levels to use the enthusiasm for tiny houses to further an urban sustainability transition agenda.