Bobby Kennedy suggests this as an affforadable-alternative

[marley-rae2]

https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw ... ternative/
Bobby Kennedy thinks this is a good alternative to affordable housing...??
What do U think of this as a 200 sq. f.t micro home? I am seeing so many buildings being built "so close together as I drive around looking. Yikes. Its suffocating to see this.!!! Its a mid- sized city trying to be a big city too fast bringing with it Big city problems. I think its time to slow building down. Clean up the downtown!! to me Bobby Kennedy is young with ideas that are forward thinking for sure.But!!!! Building/ developments must be well thought out. Cramming people into small apts? there are so many considerations? traffic, infrastructure. Have U noticed the drive down Harvey...............It's crazy . I guess I am just being " more aware as voting time is slowly, steadily upon us. Lots to consider. Lets discuss.

[countmeout]

These tiny units are marketed for one reason, profit! A space this size is purchased because it fits a huge need to live close to work. There is a large need to live close to work because owning transportation costs too much for most young people. Commuting a far distance by public transit is also a large hassle. This leads to the sustained market of micro-suites.

Developers are very happy to build these units because they sell for more per square foot than other larger units. They also rent for more per square foot. The city dips into this too because they can charge more for taxes for the same building footprint because are more units.
https://www.macleans.ca/economy/realestateeconomy/putting-micro-condos-to-the-test-in-canada/

Not a single person that tells you they are happy with the small space would say no if offered a 1200 square foot unit in the same building for the same monthly rent or purchase price. No person is choosing this by simply wanting a space this small, they are doing it for the reasons listed above.

[2x4eyes]

These units are often a large hit with those (young and old) needing a place to live but don't want to pay or cannot afford a single dwelling home/townhouse in K-Town or surrounding areas.

A few of the 'empty nesters' I've spoken to would rather this than an apartment building and a few have actually purchased one of these units and installed them on property they own....Also, much less hassles than apartment buildings especially where there is strata involved.

I fully support this as a housing option and actually wish someone would have brough this forward during the last election...

[countmeout]

There isn't space to have more than 3 people over at a time. No entertaining guests, no room for a family. This serves one small purpose and that it to supply a closet for millennials to sleep before they go back to work.

As more of these units are built and they become mainstream they will start to be priced higher until they are unaffordable as well. More people live in townhomes because they were once looked at as the cheap alternative to a single family home. Townhomes turned into condos and now microsuites. I won't be too shocked to hear stories in 10 years about how a family of 4 makes it work downtown Kelowna in a 300 sqft closet. This is bad and the government needs to step in and set better laws on minimum dwelling sizes.

[Scrobins94]

Having spent some time in Japan and China where I have seen families of 3 share a 30 square metre apartment I think this definitely meets the needs for 1-2 single adults. The only problem is that we are used to having a lot of space for all our toys and trailers and a yard for Fido so this definitely takes some getting used to.

This type of housing actually can help reduce congestion if located close to where people work!

Some people also prefer to have 300sf of private space over 900sf of share shared with 2 other people. There is certainly value in personal space which also reflects on the higher $/sf for these smaller units (also a consequence of the higher $/sf construction cost).

One project in Kelowna that comes to mind is that of Cambridge House fronting HWY-97. If I recall correctly they were about 300sf and had large public courtyard and shared amenities (lounge/gym/conference room). Actually quite nice assuming you can live without a bunch of toys and treat public parks more as a backyard. Talk about revitalizing public spaces!

Sure it might be small for your taste but when we want to protect our ALR and keep servicing (therefore taxes) low we need to increase density rather than spread out (more roads, infrastructure, etc).

What Kennedy is proposing isn't something Kelowna isn't already trying to do.

[Politick18]

What happened to the Smart car? Same thing here. I'd rather camp than live in a closet. Oops! Shouldn't have said that.

[2x4eyes]

Units of this type aren't for everyone but some actually prefer and like this idea.

Traffic congestion is horrific in some areas already but sure, let's add a few more high rises on the same road...

[mexi cali]

I'm not a big fan of them either but if I were able to afford one as a young up and comer, I would think it would be a lot better than living in my moms basement or crashing on a friends couch or worse, living with three room mates. It's a Bandaid solution though.

[egg]

I'm not a big fan of them either but if I were able to afford one as a young up and comer, I would think it would be a lot better than living in my moms basement or crashing on a friends couch or worse, living with three room mates. It's a Bandaid solution though.

It's a very specific development that appears to be aimed at attracting young professionals. Worman developed micro-homes near the hospital that fit what you've said exactly, 315sq ft and within walking distance of downtown. The problem with this style of developments as others have noted is that this won't help congestion issues if our public transit isn't ready for an influx of people.