“Quasi-Formal Housing” in the United States: Rethinking Tiny House Villages as a Response to Housing Insecurity

Source abstract

Housing insecurity in the United States continues to deepen, with conventional housing policies failing to meet the needs of unhoused populations. In response, tiny house villages (THVs) have grown as a grassroots solution, offering small, community-based dwellings. THVs sometimes operate outside conventional zoning and building regulations, reflecting a less formal mode of housing. Scholars have conceptualized similar arrangements using terms such as gray spaces , semi-formal housing , and hybrid urbanisms to describe similar forms of informality. Building on this literature, we employ the concept of quasi-formal housing to describe housing practices that have not yet been fully integrated into or recognized by formal urban planning frameworks. THVs can exemplify this in-between status and demonstrate how communities respond creatively to crisis and systemic exclusion of low-income classes. We argue for a more intentional integration of such models into housing policy to support equity, dignity, and inclusion.