Better than Nothing? A scoping review on tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a response to homelessness in high-income countries

Bibliographic Data

ID24033746
AuthorsCatherine A Marshall (0000-0002-0592-7716, Western University, corresponding author), Julia Holmes (Western University), Corinna Easton (0000-0002-8795-6341, Western University), Brooklyn Ward (0000-0001-6956-622X, Western University), Shauna Perez (0000-0003-1399-6575, Western University), Roxanne Isard (0000-0003-0283-444X, Western University), Nick Kerman (0000-0001-5219-0449, University Health Network), Cheryl Forchuk (0000-0001-6936-3932, Western University), Rebecca E Gewurtz (0000-0002-1794-7749, McMaster University), Rebecca Gewurtz
Year2026
Volume10
Pages100339
Publication date2026-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWellbeing Space and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2666-5581 • E-ISSN: 2666-5581
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.wss.2025.100339
OpenAlexW4417290409
LanguageEN
References cited43

Tiny homes and sleeping cabins are often touted as a quick and efficient solution to providing shelter or housing for unhoused individuals. No known knowledge syntheses have amalgamated this body of literature, and this is needed to inform future research, practice and policy. To address this gap, we conducted a scoping review using the framework advanced by Arksey and O’Malley. We searched seven databases supplemented by a search of grey literature. We included studies that were empirical, non-empirical, of any design, and both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature. This search yielded 116 unique articles following the removal of duplicates. Over half of the included articles were empirical ( n = 65; 56 %) and less than half were peer-reviewed ( n = 43; 37.1 %). The majority of articles represented literature pertaining to the United States ( n = 89; 76.7) and Canada ( n = 14; 12.1 %). We generated four themes in our narrative synthesis: 1) Tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a viable component of a broader solution to homelessness; 2) How to make it happen; 3) Critical perspectives on the use of tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a response to homelessness; and 4) It’s better than nothing. We conclude that a range of articles on this topic have been published, yet this literature remains under-developed with few empirical studies providing evidence for the effectiveness of tiny homes and sleeping cabins over other interventions. More empirical research is needed to warrant the use of tiny homes and sleeping cabins as a response to homelessness in light of literature on alternative approaches.

Body of knowledge · Empirical research · Grey literature · Narrative · Narrative review · Systematic review · Homelessness and Social Issues · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies

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Open DOIOpen Access