July 2018 Update

A major obstacle to the widespread adoption of small-space living in the United States has been the slowness and often reluctance of local government to reform zoning practices to allow it. Many seem to equate it with some pint-size version of a trailer park. But some counties around the country are taking a serious second look as being a solution for future housing difficulties.

Along the same lines, a recent Affordable Housing Week observed by a Utah county confronted the need for government at all levels to address the growing need seniors have for safe, comfortable and affordable housing options, including tiny homes of 300-500 square feet.

If the behemoth known as Google does anything these days it’s big news, and that includes a recent report that Google is exploring ways to incorporate its Nest motion detection sensor technology in development of safe senior housing, allowing close but not intrusive monitoring of residents’ activities—an essential ingredient for practical small housing alternatives.

By the same token, this report sounds a cautionary note on Amazon’s voice-activated assistants Alexa and Echo which, while easier for seniors to adapt to than screen based or keyboard activated devices, require paying careful attention to the particular communication challenges many seniors face