Emily Carson-Apstein
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder
According to the 2024 Gabriola Health Report, 40% of renters on Gabriola are experiencing a “core housing need”, meaning that their housing is too small, needs repair, or is financially unsustainable. The national housing crisis is visible on the Gulf Islands. One potential solution to address the lack of housing diversity on the islands and other rural communities is to legalize permanent occupancy of Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWs).
Traditionally, THOWs have been classified as recreational vehicles, which limits their potential as long-term dwellings. As the island’s population ages and downsizes, tiny homes offer a way to help seniors remain independent while making larger homes available for young families. Tiny homes can also be an entry-point into the inaccessible housing market for young people who are tired of renting. THOWs offer unique engineering challenges (the wheels), but also opportunities with their flexibility and affordability.
In March 2024, the Islands Trust and Regional District of Nanaimo convened a panel of experts including planners, builders, industry, and waste/water servicing professionals. A budget of $20,000 was allocated by Islands trust Council under its housing affordability program. The technical panel met to brainstorm ways to safely introduce THOWs into the Trust Area as dwellings. The panel recommended a distinct designation for THOWs, in line with construction standards and following the intent of the building code.
A key finding was that some tiny home manufacturers already conform to the CSA Z240MH standard, which is a building code for mobile homes. The RDN Building Permitting Department stated they could issue a building permit for new built MH tiny homes—even with wheels—if they are secured to the ground. Other specific recommendations addressed issues like wastewater management, insurance coverage, zoning bylaws, and education for building officials. Next steps include connecting with other communities who can benefit from THOW legalization, and developing a report for the Canadian Building Harmonization Codes Committees, who meet on a five-year cycle to update building codes.
Gabriola trustee Tobi Elliott, a long-time local proponent of THOWs, is pleased with the outcome of the workshop and the collaboration between the Islands Trust and RDN. “This project could lead the way in BC. Local governments in rural and remote communities have struggled to legitimize THOWs for decades. Our constituents are building, purchasing, and living in THOWs but there wasn’t agreement on what certification standard would be acceptable to permit THOWs as dwellings.
“Advocacy to the Province always centred around amending the BC Building Code, but local governments have the ability to determine what constitutes a dwelling. By getting all the experts in the room, we bridged that gap. Industry was able to prove their Manufactured Home THOWs could meet the intent of the building code, and that a huge realization for the Building Permitting staff.
“There was even discussion that policy options could now be developed for local governments related to recognizing self-built tiny homes, or those built to the CSA Z240 RV designation. The Province already walked this path of legitimizing illegal secondary suites in 2016. Along the same line, local governments could endorse RV or self-built tiny homes as dwellings if they met certain health and safety standards. So that fits with a potential approach in the Islands Trust, for clustering small dwellings, such as tiny homes on wheels, as alternatives to the conventional single family dwelling market.”
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