As I grow closer and closer to true adulthood, I realize more and more the importance of civics and how it affects my life. When I was in middle school, civics was just a class that I didn’t care much for. To me it was a confusing mix of history, government, and economics. According to the Oxford dictionary, civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society.

Of course, 13 year old Morgan wasn’t as concerned about citizenship, she was concerned about being the first to read the latest Magic Tree House book.

But now, civics is more important than ever for me, especially when it comes to homeownership. I’ve always wanted to own a tiny home, however in many places, there are no regulations for tiny homes, making them technically illegal to own because they don’t match the set requirements for larger homes.

However, many aspiring tiny home owners are taking their time to work with local municipal governments to discuss ways to make their dreams a reality. By working with their local officials, many people have been able to find a way to introduce new zoning ordinances that are tiny home friendly. Renee in Rockledge, Florida worked with her city council to explain her goals and help people understand what she wanted and asked how she could achieve this.

Watch the full documentary to learn more about legalizing tiny homes and to hear more stories like Renee’s.

Now in Rockledge, they have a thriving tiny community and the city of Rockledge is now known for having “the most progressive tiny housing zoning ordinances in the country” according to tinyheirloom.com. Rockledge serves as an example for many other aspiring tiny home owners who want to approach their local government, but don’t know how. It’s amazing how something started by learning and working together as a community.

Civics is an essential part of any citizen’s life, it impacts the way we are able to use our freedoms. Although Renee’s story had a happy ending, many others don’t. Many people are afraid to approach local officials for fear that they’ll take their homes away and some living tiny can’t afford to live any larger. This leads to dangerous situations where people live in unregulated homes filled with fire and safety hazards, and for many people to be made homeless due to nimbyism or “Not-in-my-backyard-ism.”

By understanding civics and exercising our rights as citizens, we can work together to ensure that people always have their rights to shelter, however that may be.

Learn more about zoning ordinances for tiny homes.

Zoning Laws and Limitations Zoning Laws

Information about how nimbyism impacts homelessness in America.