Part One: The Case for Tiny House Ecovillages

1) Reduce Greenhouse Gases,

2) Increase Affordable Housing,

3) Improve Disaster Resilience.

These three statewide policy priorities create a path for legalizing tiny homes and ecovillages. Model examples are already in place in Oregon, Washington, and elsewhere. Ten years from now, we want to see intentional resident-led communities covering the Bay Area and providing affordable, safe, healthy, and housing options for all.

Click here to view or download Betsy's powerpoint presentation.

Click here to view or download the handout.

Speaker Profile: 

Betsy Morris

Betsy Morris is founder of Planning for Sustainable Communities, a certified green business, specializing in custom research and other technical assistance serving public and private clients in community economic development, transit, and affordable housing. PfSC has a particular expertise in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, and currently hosts East Bay Cohousing, which organizes workshops and Future of Community unconferences for its 3000 members to promote cooperative culture and intentional communities for living and working.  

She is currently senior associate with the Center for Community Futures, a board member of the Fellowship for Intentional Community, and actively involved in growing the Global Ecovillage Network of North America. Betsy is a former Berkeley City Planning Commissioner and President of the West Berkeley Community Development Corporation. She holds a PhD and MCP in City & Regional Planning from UC Berkeley.  The Tiny Home Ecovillage concept brings together her commitment to social justice organizing and sustainable development.

Part Two: Housing for All: From Homeless Encampments to Tiny House Ecovillages

The Opportunity in Tiny 

Journalist Georgia Perry will give a colorful and inspiring report-back about how tiny home villages and homeless encampments can house individuals who are not served by shelter systems. Communities such as Opportunity Village and Dignity Village in Oregon are simultaneously housing the homeless and providing opportunities for innovative environmental and urban planning initiatives. Join the discussion!

About the facilitator

Georgia Perry is an Oakland-based freelance journalist who has written for several regional and national publications including Vice, Portland Monthly Magazine, the Portland Mercury, and Good Times Santa Cruz (formerly Santa Cruz Weekly), where she spent two years as a staff writer. 

Georgia formed an interest in tiny house communities and sanctuary camps for otherwise homeless individuals while visiting encampments along the west coast, namely Opportunity Village in Eugene, Oregon and Dignity Village in Portland, Oregon. By speaking to residents, policymakers, and planners, she has come to understand the benefits and barriers to creating these dynamic and powerful communities.