50 -150 years ago someone likely thought SRO's were a solution to affordable housing, but with time we see what many have become and how little of a difference they've made. Tiny homes are in many ways similar to SRO's, only they trade in the ability to stack on top of one another for increased mobility, replace-ability, and the autonomy of having ones own private bathroom.
Tiny homes, SRO's, and even stackable shipping containers are fundamentally different versions of what has been done before; privacy. But by utilizing space in the vertical direction with stacked beds, the rent can be cut in half when compared to the most efficient of affordable units. The floor plans listed on this website show a 70 sq. ft. space for a bunk-bed, a 3x3 storage (two stacked on top of one another), and a 4 ft walkway. Now imagine a big couch with plenty of room surrounding it downstairs occupying another 70 sq. ft. That is 140 sq ft for two people - twice what the tiniest pod-like units can do.
But unlike pods or tiny homes, there is a lack of claustrophobia. With increased numbers comes a less personal atmosphere as well as an increase in numbers of individuals with probabilities of being in different places at different times meaning the efficiency of space utilized increases with numbers. Finally, the fact that two people instead of one were accomodated by simply utilizing vertical space that would have otherwise gone entirely unused, the rent is cut in half.
Tiny homes, SRO's, and even stackable shipping containers are fundamentally different versions of what has been done before; privacy. But by utilizing space in the vertical direction with stacked beds, the rent can be cut in half when compared to the most efficient of affordable units. The floor plans listed on this website show a 70 sq. ft. space for a bunk-bed, a 3x3 storage (two stacked on top of one another), and a 4 ft walkway. Now imagine a big couch with plenty of room surrounding it downstairs occupying another 70 sq. ft. That is 140 sq ft for two people - twice what the tiniest pod-like units can do.
But unlike pods or tiny homes, there is a lack of claustrophobia. With increased numbers comes a less personal atmosphere as well as an increase in numbers of individuals with probabilities of being in different places at different times meaning the efficiency of space utilized increases with numbers. Finally, the fact that two people instead of one were accomodated by simply utilizing vertical space that would have otherwise gone entirely unused, the rent is cut in half.
