Even though microhousing legislation has passed and is now in effect, the interest in microhousing is as hot as ever. I was interviewed for the KCTS program In Close along with Daniel Stoner a microhousing developer and neighbors. The Mayor was also interviewed. The same strange comments are repeated by Greenwood neighbors about the people living in microhousing and what they think of them.

Everybody there is going to be a single person because you can only have one person per unit. So they’re not going to put down roots in the neighborhood so they may or may not be as involved in neighborhood activities, community things, stuff like that.

These comments never fail to amaze and annoy me. It’s as if renters are a different class of people, immune from the same worries about safety in their neighborhood or the desire to keep their own neighborhood livable. The comments made by the neighbor amount to nothing less than prejudice against people who happen to pay rent rather than a mortgage. It’s unfounded and really inconsistent with the values we all hold in this city of diversity and welcoming people different from ourselves.

Stoner does a great job of explaining his project and the Mayor makes some positive comments. I said this about the economics of microhousing and why legislation passed earlier this year was a deal breaker.

 The thing that makes these projects work is that you’re able to get more people in a smaller footprint, and it’s more efficient and more affordable.  But when you start to increase the size of the unit and force other things onto that lot, your unit count starts to go down and the price goes up, and you might as well build one bedroom apartments.

All in all, the show was pretty balanced and I think showed everyone explaining their perspective — I still think neighbors years from now will look back and feel embarrassed about some of their comments. Once the new project goes in, life will go on, and the controversy will fade — and 36 new people will have found a home in our city.