Some people believe that housing is necessary as a place to store personal items. But this isn't the only way to live. A lot of what a person owns might be used just a handful times a year and could be stored in an efficiently-packed shed or storage unit rather than among their living space. Doing such would reduce the need for a larger house. These items might include:

• hobby supplies used when the rare moment strikes

• cookware and dishes for large parties

• seasonal clothing

• mementos and souvenirs

Many people use housing as a place to prepare food, but this isn't the situation for everybody. Some people might exclusively dine at restaurants or taco trucks or at their place of work. Others might only need storage space for ready-to-eat foods, but no food preparation space.

People tend to use their housing to bathe and maintain their bodies. Depending on needs and wants, a person might need a spacious roll-in shower or they might be happy using a shower stall among a row of ten. Others may prefer to wash with natural soap in a river next to their tent or at their local gym, which means they don't need housing to provide a solution to that need at all.

Some humans regularly need solitude to concentrate on a project, to decompress or to stop performing for awhile. Housing can offer this space, but not necessarily. Numerous inhabitants or guests in a house can render it ineffective as a space for solitude, and a person may have to go elsewhere for this need.

Human bodies need shelter from sun, snow, wind and other weather elements. Without appropriate protection, sickness and death are likely. Housing provides a solution to that need but it isn't necessarily the sole solution, depending on one's lifestyle. Some people spend their entire days outside of the house and need shelter only for their sleeping hours. In this case, offices, coffee shops schools and everywhere else provide the necessary protection.

Access to a hygienic place to evacuate body waste at any moment is a necessity in life, so it seems toilets are something that housing must provide. Even if most of the day is spent away from home, it is important to have a commode available whenever necessary.

A comfortable, safety-oriented space to sleep is a necessity for everyone (and certainly not everyone has access to it). The ideal sleep environment varies from person to person and might include a machine for ambient noise, blackout curtains, a particular blanket or the arms of a loved one. Some people may prefer several locks and doors separating them from strangers while others prefer an encampment of six sleepers on a secluded beach. Sleeping space seems to be a primary need that housing provides.

People often think their only housing options are financially- and emotionally expensive ones: to sign a one year lease on an apartment or commit to a mortgage plus taxes plus insurance. What people don't realize is that they can choose instead to live in short-term housing solutions or participate in work exchanges, avoiding high rental costs and time commitments.