Many thanks to @Niko König from Tiny Houses Region Stuttgart e.V. for the exciting interview!

How did the association Tiny Houses Region Stuttgart e.V. come into being?

NK: From an open interest group that has been meeting since the end of 2018, the association Tiny HousesRegion Stuttgart e.V.was founded in July 2019.
The original goal was to establish a Tiny House settlement and to find a suitable plot of land for this purpose.
In the meantime, the association has developed into a platform that Tiny House interested people from the region use to connect and exchange ideas. Furthermore, we have contacted more than 130 municipalities in the region. The goal is to make them aware of the growing social need for Tiny House living and to attract them to this form of housing. These discussions have also led to the search for interested owners of vacant lots<wbr>who are willing to make their land available for a limited period of time.
Therefore, we see ourselves as a link between municipalities, land owners and Tiny House interested parties, as well as a platform for the establishment of appropriate initiatives and a contact point for those seeking and offering land for Tiny Houses in the region.</wbr>


2) What contribution can Tiny Houses make to climate protection?

NK: In terms of climate protection, Tiny Houses (like any form of building/living) have various advantages and disadvantages that need to be considered in a differentiated way. For example, Tiny Houses (due to the ratio of external surface to volume) have a relatively high energy consumption per square meter when it comes to heating the surface. However, Tinys can make a significant contribution to climate protection when it comes to sealing the ground on which they stand (since a Tiny House does not require a classic foundation). Also, due to the size and the basic approach of mobility/reversibility, there are completely different possibilities to build climate friendly and to think in a cradle to cradle approach. In addition, for many Tiny House enthusiasts, a minimalist or consumption-reduced lifestyle plays the basis for the desire to live in a Tiny House. Together with the sharing idea, which plays a role especially in Tiny House settlements, some points for climate protection can be collected here. But it also depends on the implementation.


Where does Germany stand in the promotion of Tiny Houses? How
challenging are the approval processes?

NK: Currently, there is no legal basis for the construction of Tiny Houses in Germany. This leads to the fact that none of the actors involved (from the manufacturer to the builder to the municipalities/authorities) has legal security and thus planning security in the process and many unfortunately give up discouraged. Without this legal basis (and thus definition) it is also difficult to obtain funding, although in the meantime there are some funding pots that are eligible for partial aspects (such as resource-efficient building).