Micro Houses: Trends and Implications on the Gold Coast

Abstract

<p>Housing affordability is a major crisis affecting both capital and regional cities around the world. In response to this predicament and the desire of many families to downsize, micro homes have become increasingly popular both in Australia and globally in recent years. Micro homes, which are smaller, more organised and more energy efficient than conventional homes, can lead to several benefits: relatively higher affordability level than conventional homes; higher density to support public transport and a growing population; and more efficient use of the limited land resources. However, micro homes have also been associated with such issues as lack of privacy, design shortfalls (e.g. insufficient natural lighting and limited living and outdoor space) and inability to accommodate the needs of larger families.</p><p> The Gold Coast is a city located in South East Queensland with approximately half-a-million population. As a major regional city based heavily on the tourism and construction industries, the city has been experiencing rapidly increasing housing prices and population. In this regard, micro homes are playing an increasingly important role on the Gold Coast, particularly in the newer housing estates. The objective of this paper is to critically evaluate the trends and implications of micro homes on the Gold Coast. To do so, the paper is divided into three sections. The paper, firstly, conducts a review of the literature on micro homes and their rising popularity in recent years. Secondly, the paper reviews a case study of the Gold Coast by exploring micro home trends across both the public, private and community sectors in the city. The paper then discusses key implications of micro homes on the Gold Coast before providing recommendations for addressing the major issues identified. Lastly, the paper concludes with key lessons relating to micro homes which may inform future policies on the broader scale.</p>