Lean House Hacking Catalog

by Kevin Klinkenberg

Housing is a critical component of community-building. It’s the biggest expense for most households, and for most people who own their home, it’s their biggest asset. Housing can create wealth for existing and new residents. It can also create opportunities for growing, improving, or preserving a neighborhood. But housing has become less and less affordable in recent years. Red tape, in the form of regulatory and bureaucratic barriers, has made it increasingly difficult to find or own suitable housing. House hacking is a powerful tool for Lean Urbanism. It helps overcome the barriers to entry and accomplishes individual and community goals. We created this House Hacking Catalog to show how it’s possible and to provide inspiration, information, and ideas to make it happen. It contains descriptions of the types of buildings, rentals, and construction that make good options for house hacking, plus issues to consider including financing and finding the right property, as well as additional resources. The Project for Lean Urbanism is providing free tools and offering technical assistance to municipalities so residents can participate in building their homes, businesses, and communities. We’re helping cities create Pink Zones — areas where the red tape is lightened — to remove barriers in their zoning and building codes and streamline their processes to reduce the burdens that small-scale projects encounter. That’s how we’re Making Small Possible.

39 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2021