Are Small Housing Pods the Answer to the Housing Crisis?

Are Small Housing Pods the Answer to the Housing Crisis?
An estimated 345,000 new homes are needed every year to keep up with the UK's current housing demand. However, housing is about more than just numbers. Those entering construction courses now have the ideal opportunity to find new ways of addressing both the current and predicted housing crisis. One way could be greater use of small homes or small housing pods.

Even if construction companies put enough people through construction management courses to build or renovate the required number of properties every year, these homes will be out of reach of many individuals and families. Many are snapped up by landlords who make a tidy profit renting them out, often with restrictions that make it difficult for people to rent. Others are too expensive in the current climate with zero-hour contracts and job uncertainty making lenders wary. Only a small proportion are assigned as social housing, an area where need always outstrips supply.

This leads to more significant overcrowding, with several generations squashed into often unsuitable houses with little chance of anyone moving out and no budget for extensions or conversions. This is where small housing pods come into their own.

These pods can be made from almost anything to fit practically anywhere, from unused shipping containers to recycled wood and other materials. Small housing pods are quick to put together, flexible in their use, and can easily be attached to the national grid where needed. However, those who want to experience off grid living can just as easily convert their pods to solar or wind power.

Small housing pods can be placed in gardens just as quickly as a shed or garage. Depending on the councils' specific regulations, these pods rarely need planning permission. They can be used as extra shared space or to house one or more people. These pods are often referred to as granny pods as they are an ideal compromise between an older relative living on their own and permanently joining the home of a younger family member. They can also house adult children while they work to put together a deposit on a place of their own or even provide a student with freedom and independence while home is close by.

Could you design and build the next generation of small housing pods with your construction management certification? Why not take one of the many construction courses available at the University of Bolton and find out.