Increasing housing supply with tiny homes

A Surf Coast resident is getting behind the push for tiny homes in the area, believing it could help with increasing housing supply.

Sarah Gole is passionate about ensuring children do not grow up in an unsafe home and says there’s an opportunity for tiny homes on wheels to be part of the solution.

“There’s so much available land on the Surf Coast and so much potential for people with larger land holdings to pop one on and give someone a safe home.”

Ms Gole also runs Manuka Tiny Homes, driven by a care for housing and focused on manufacturing tiny homes on wheels and small, secondary dwellings.

The Australian Tiny House Association defines a tiny house as a moveable dwelling, suitable for permanent residential use and self-contained amenities.

Surf Coast Shire is part of the Tiny Houses on Wheels pilot running until December 2026.

The pilot focuses on possibilities for affordable housing and worker accommodation.

Ms Gole entered the pilot program with a tiny home on her property, presently occupied by her 20-year-old son, which gives him independence.

“It really is in between that home and getaway feel because you tend to put them in a nice spot where there’s a bit of foliage and maybe an outlook so you can get that inside, outside lifestyle,” she said.

“I’d like people to know that these can be a legitimate category of housing, that people don’t have to be in a home that’s not safe.”

Ms Gole can see the initiative being good for both homeowners and those looking for a rental property, with no need to put a slab down and being able to sell the tiny home along with the property.

“For the homeowner, they’ve got the land and maybe they’ve got a bit of capital, it’s a good way of providing someone with a rental property and getting a decent return on it.

“For someone who wants to live minimally and live a little bit among nature, maybe live off grid and it’s a good option for them as well.”

For more information, head to tinyhouse.org.au