09/06/2026
PERMANENT (It's become the 'dirty word' for advocacy).
It's a word that keeps coming up when I talk to councils about Tiny Houses on Wheels.
And honestly, I think we're all talking about different things.
When someone spends $130,000 - $275,000 on a THOW, are they making a temporary housing decision?
Of course not.
• The housing need is permanent.
• The desire for security is permanent.
• The need for affordability is permanent.
• The house itself may last decades.
Yet somehow, the conversation always gets stuck on whether it is "permanent".
Maybe we're asking the wrong question.
A tiny house can be a permanent housing solution while being temporarily attached to a particular piece of land.
The reality I'm seeing across Australia is that many people don't want permanent attachment to land.
They want secure tenure.
They want to know they won't spend years saving for a home, only to be told they have to move 6 months to 24 months later.
Ironically, the more insecure the pathway becomes, the less likely people are to engage with it.
It's simply human behaviour.
If people believe there is no realistic pathway, they will often choose to operate outside the system entirely - which is what a huge section of tiny house buyers are currently doing.
So perhaps the question isn't:
"Should tiny houses be permanent?"
Perhaps the question is:
How do we create secure, compliant pathways that encourage people to participate openly and help governments understand what is already happening?
And importantly, how can we do this without adding insane extra 'compliance costs'... because right now you can transition to a modular, fixed to land that you buy/own, and go 'traditional route' - but not everyone can afford that.... SO WHY should you be penalised because of your inability to obtain a mortgage and is it normal to expect every single house owner to take on a huge, 30 year mortgage, when they are actually happy to have something a little less... huge?
Interested in hearing thoughts from planners, councillors, builders, landowners and tiny house owners.
