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An old conservative rhetorical device is to claim that whatever problem you are facing could be solved by just “getting government out of the way.”

As with most phrases that fit on bumper stickers, “get government out of the way” is generally an empty slogan. Lots of problems require government intervention. But every once in a while, the old phrase really does apply. And few clearer cases exist than the saga surrounding Chasidy Decker’s tiny home in Meridian.

As the Statesman’s Rachel Spacek first reported in June, Decker spent $75,000 on a tiny home and a Meridian homeowner allowed her to rent space and hookups so she could live there. The proliferation of tiny homes is one of many models that can be used to expand affordable housing in the midst of the Treasure Valley’s housing crunch. And it doesn’t require government assistance.