Harmony Communities Celebrates Anniversary of Tiny Homes Conversion Program

STOCKTON, Calif., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmony Communities, owner and operator of twenty-four manufactured home communities in the western United States, announced today the one-year anniversary of the launch of its tiny homes conversion program.

Through the program, certain manufactured housing communities are slated for gradual conversion into neighborhoods of tiny homes, providing options for newer, space- and energy-efficient affordable housing options for residents.

Harmony Communities purchased its first such community in San Leandro, California. Today the company boasts 15 tiny homes throughout California and Oregon. The company plans to expand the program into two additional communities in the near future, at a rate of 20 tiny homes per year.

With the rising demand for affordable housing solutions, Harmony Communities president Matthew Davies sees tiny homes as a unique solution to the affordable housing problem in California.

"People are embracing tiny living," said Matthew Davies. "We're excited to bring the opportunity for home ownership to people who could not otherwise afford it.

"In addition, tiny homes have the potential for helping to alleviate the country's housing crisis," continued Davies. "By converting to these homes, we are hoping to increase the number of residences available in our parks by an average of 10%."

In addition to being more affordable to purchase than average homes or mobile homes, today's tiny houses are cheaper and easier to maintain:

• They are incredibly energy efficient, requiring approximately 7% of the average kilowatts required to light an average-sized American home and offering other efficiencies through the use of specially designed ventilation systems, passive solar orientation, and more. This can provide substantial cost savings for residents; an older mobile home can be tremendously energy inefficient, leading to electric bills upwards of $200 a month. Tiny homes can reduce electric bills by 75%.
• Tiny homes generate substantially less CO2 than average homes and mobile homes (Heating and cooling a tiny home generates approximately 558 pounds of CO2 (to heat) and 286 pounds (to cool) per year compared to 8,000 pounds and 4,000 pounds to heat and cool an average home).
• The manufacturers of homes employ greener, more sustainable materials. During construction of an average 2,000-square-foot home, four to seven tons of waste can be generated; tiny homes generate significantly less waste in their construction.
• The smaller footprint of the home can lead to a reduced property tax burden for homeowners.

The average useful life of a mobile home is 30-55 years, and many homes in parks around the country are reaching (or have surpassed) this milestone. As these structures break down, homeowners can face challenges with wear and tear from the elements, cracks, water damage and more. Replacing these older structures with newer, more efficient homes benefits homeowners as well as the communities.

About Harmony Communities:
Based in Stockton, California, Harmony Communities owns and operates twenty-four premier manufactured home communities in California and Oregon, and sees tiny homes as both an affordable and functional solution to California's housing crisis. As well as offering affordable housing solutions, the company works with local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations to help residents qualify for special loans and other assistance that can enable homeownership. To learn more, visit www.harmonycom.com. 

CONTACT: Angela Stanley, [email protected]

SOURCE Harmony Communities

Related Links

http://www.harmonycom.com