Student Story: Can Tiny Homes Help Solve the Housing Crisis in North Texas?
Can Tiny Homes Help Solve the Housing Crisis in North Texas?
By Jenny Rudolph and Audrey McClure
For Denise Ghaazee, a 430-square-foot tiny home in an experimental Dallas neighborhood has provided the space to take back her independence and find housing stability after years spent in and out of shelters.
For Terry Lantrip, a village of tiny homes in Denton County has meant following his family legacy in real estate and transforming unused farmland into a community asset.
And for Valerie Ballard, tiny homes represent an opportunity to create communities where North Texas veterans can live together in rural areas, enjoy eco-friendly options not available in the city, and practice sustainable living.
Student Story: Is Tiny the New Big?
Story by Victoria Murillo, Tyler Luker, Anthony Tarango and Maili Maldonado, UNT.
There’s a current tug of war waging over what the idea of the traditional American home looks like.
In one direction, we have what most of us might envision as the American dream: a well-financed dream home with a big yard and white picket fence. While on the other side, we have shrinking family sizes due to rising rent prices and energy costs that drive people to downsize, creating their version of a minimalist lifestyle in apartments and micro homes.
Student Story: Short-term solution for a long-term problem
Story by Sarah Hogan, Maria Crane, Jami Hitchcock and Ruby Mejia. UNT 2022.
It is a familiar situation University of North Texas Students know all too well. You sign your lease, you move in, but by the time you finish finals, you’re already trying to figure out where to live next year. At UNT, the problem is only magnified by new priority housing mandates.
As you struggle to shuffle through the off-campus options, including apartments, houses and rooms to rent, you find yourself faced with inflated rent prices and increased demand, not to mention the probable 12-month lease waiting for your signature. However, there is another option students may not be considering — short-term rentals.
Student Story: Congrats grad, you’re evicted
Story by J Wilson and Jasmine Carrillo. UNT Fall 2022.
You get accepted to college, you sign your first lease, and then something unexpected happens. You lose your part time job. Your parents can’t support you financially. Your classes are getting more expensive and suddenly, the eviction notice is on your door.
Student evictions happen more often than people realize and are often under-reported and leave students left with few options. Approximately 46% of college students face some level of housing insecurity while attending school, according to a 2019 Real College survey.
For students like Laura Coate, a former University of North Texas student, the eviction notice came at the worst time.
“I literally could not afford to keep the lights on,” Coate said. “I was going to my friend’s house to charge my things and sleeping with the windows open because it was the hottest summer ever.”