Affordable housing continues to be a hot topic around the city and through the years we have seen condos get smaller and smaller until finally, we have the micro-condo!

I, like many, grew up in a large single detached home yet through the years I’ve lived in smaller homes where my single income allows whether rent or mortgage and have been quite happy. With prices continuing to rise and low vacancies keeping rents fairly high, it’s time to consider the micro-condo.

Meet Burns Block in Vancouver and the historic Janion building in Victoria, both projects, when completed will boast homes averaging in and around 300 square feet. Though this may seem the size of our parent’s living room it can in fact be livable, affordable and as a rental unit a revenue generator. These types of properties will also typically include custom furniture and appliances that are built specifically for the space so there is no need to worry about your picture tube TV (you know who you are.) And, with a little ingenuity these homes can feel much bigger than they really are.

There is no doubt I would prefer large spacious rooms in my home but considering I live in a city where the outdoor lifestyle is second to none I actually don’t spend a lot of time indoors. Plus, where our population to buildable space has peaked we need to look at new opportunities to house all walks of life in our beautiful city and the micro-condominium is one of many possible solutions.

Michael Connolly