The Villages, FL – We are excited to announce that on Feb. 13th, the Hailey City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance recognizing “tiny homes on wheels” as a legal type of backyard housing unit that could be parked in any of Hailey’s residential zoning districts. Before going into the books as final, two more readings were required and that happened on February 27th and March 13th, according to City Planner Cece Osborn. For three months, the council worked on how to define a Tiny Home on Wheels and came to the agreement that they would be titled as accessory structures. Osborn explained that city staff, along with stakeholders from Blaine County and the tiny-home industry, had been debating since December whether to define THOW’s as a type of recreational vehicle. The group decided against that definition, she said, “Because the city of Hailey is not prepared to allow year-round occupancy in any type of RV.”

“TINY HOMES ON WHEELS (THOW): an accessory structure with a footprint between 100 and 400 square feet in size that provides seasonal or year-round independent living facilities, including provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation, and has been certified to meet the required building standards.”

Building Standards: NOAH+ Standard In 2022, Blaine County, Idaho adopted their Tiny Homes on Wheels Ordinance. They approached NOAH for guidance as they recognized the NOAH+ Standard to be in line with the standards that they will require these accessory structures to possess. NOAH’s compilation is a set of building standards referred to as the NOAH+ Standard. The NOAH+ Standards include fire and life safety standards, as well as, building standards from multiple entities that include the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), National Electric Code (NEC), and the International Residential Code (IRC). As in Blaine County, Hailey will also require that all THOW’s will be inspected and certified to the NOAH+ Standard with amendments to the R values of insulation. “All Tiny Homes on Wheels shall meet the NOAH+ Standards, in addition to and except where they are superseded by the requirements for Hailey’s climatic conditions,”

Robin Butler, Founder and CEO of NOAH says “This is a great step for the housing crisis in Hailey and our hope is that the surrounding communities follow suit just as Hailey followed Blaine County.”

In an email, Osborn said “The tiny homes would be subject to these building standards set forth by NOAH. NOAH’s services have certainly been key to our effort.” In addition to the NOAH+ Standard, City Staff proposes that THOW’s located in the City of Hailey adhere to the snow load standards required for all other residential structures and dwelling units in Hailey. In deliberating the insulation requirements for THOW’s, City Staff consulted with Blaine County Staff, NOAH, and THOW manufacturers in the region. In the end, Staff decided to align with Blaine County’s insulation requirements, which can be understood as a middle ground. Blaine County’s insulation requirements are less than those required for ADUs and other dwelling units. However, the proposed requirements are greater than those required for Park Model RVs, which are a temporary or seasonal living facility on wheels permitted by State Law and Blaine County.

Inspection and Certification of the Tiny Home on Wheels

The City of Hailey Ordinance also makes provisions for the inspection and certification of the home by a third party thereby relieving the local building department of the need to approve the home.

“Inspection of the THOW building requirements or standards— including the NOAH+ Standards and the requirements for Hailey’s climatic conditions— shall be completed and approved by the National Organization of Alternative Housing (NOAH) or another inspection agency that is approved by the Administrator.”

The local building department will still need to be concerned with the set up and utility hookups of the tiny home on wheels.

Addressing Housing Needs & Solutions Affordable housing is a critical issue in the United States, as many people struggle to find decent and affordable places to live. There is a significant shortage of affordable housing across the country, particularly in urban areas where housing costs have skyrocketed in recent years. Hailey recognized that one of the advantages of tiny houses is their lower cost compared to traditional homes. The smaller size of a tiny house means that it requires fewer building materials, and can be built in less time, which can reduce the overall cost. Additionally, the smaller size means that tiny houses typically require less energy to heat and cool, which can result in lower utility bills.

Hailey City Councilman Sam Linnet lauded the tiny-home ordinance for its potential to provide diverse, lower-cost housing options. “I appreciate all of the thought that went into this,” he said. “The proposed standards help us manage tiny homes in a way that

would protect adjacent property owners and doesn’t change the whole feel of neighborhoods, doesn’t create trailer parks or create public safety issues.”

Councilwoman Kaz Thea pointed out that the units could also reduce electricity and gas costs and limit carbon emissions. “They can be done more quickly and less expensively than building a whole ADU. It’s exciting,” she said. “I love these.”

NOAH applauds the City of Hailey for providing your residents with alternative housing options, specifically Tiny Homes on Wheels. And, we appreciate your recognizing that the NOAH+ Standard is of great value to these residents, in not only providing life and fire safety standards, but also building safety standards. In Ms. Osborn’s last line of her reply back to me, she said “Thank you so much for your work. This wouldn’t be possible without NOAH’s standards and inspection services.”

About NOAH Certified: Founded in 2015, NOAH Certified was the first to offer Tiny House Certification through inspection of homes to nationally recognized standards from multiple industries. NOAH Certified provides builders a path to demonstrate compliance with safety, structural and energy efficiency standards for consumer confidence in their projects. For more information, please visit www.NOAHCertified.org