Why is my building not a usable home?
The developer separates the Exterior Editor, the House template and the POI Map Editor. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. These are different parts of the setup rather than interchangeable names for drawing a house.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. The exterior creates the visible structure, while the housing template and placed POI establish its function. That distinction is corroborated by two independent revised-demo tutorials.
Both explain or demonstrate assigning housing markers to existing building tiles. If your map contains attractive buildings but the settlement lacks usable housing, inspect the functional setup instead of adding more decoration to the same structure. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
What does the House template do?
The House template supplies housing-related behavior and capacity information. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. The collected developer explanation confirms that role without establishing one universal capacity for every house.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. A guide should therefore not claim that all houses fit a fixed number of residents or require one specific construction-resource cost. A prefab can provide a suitable template so that you do not have to define every supporting entry yourself.
The June 15 tutorial update added default editor content to simplify starting a world. Older tutorials may spend longer creating templates manually because they demonstrate an earlier starting experience. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
How does the House POI connect the building?
Use the POI Map Editor to place the relevant House POI on the building. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. This is the confirmed link between the visual location and the housing system described by the developer.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. The revised tutorial recordings illustrate that relationship rather than treating the building image as sufficient on its own. Check that the POI refers to the housing template you intend to use.
A template existing somewhere in the editor is not the same as a placed functional location on the map. Keeping those two questions separate makes it easier to understand why a completed-looking street might not yet provide homes. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
Do footprints and entrances matter?
The June 18 Patch 6 notes document footprint-aware building placement and entry markers. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. The revised tutorial narration also draws attention to the footprint and its direction marker.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. These details support checking how a building is placed and entered rather than judging housing solely by its exterior appearance. The sources do not establish an exact current button sequence or a universal set of tile dimensions.
Follow the controls visible in your build when placing the footprint and entry. If you are comparing against an older video, keep the patch date in mind before assuming that every placement behavior remains identical. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
Will houses automatically create humans?
Housing and initial population are separate parts of the settlement setup. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. The recorded human-spawning workflow connects NPC templates to a faction and assigns that faction to a City Zone.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. A House POI does not replace those relationships or prove that an unconfigured city has an initial population source. Likewise, a human race definition alone is not a full resident setup.
If the settlement has no inhabitants at all, inspect its faction and City Zone configuration as well as its homes. If inhabitants exist but the population is not growing, food and family-related simulation systems become a different question. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
What else should you check after placing homes?
Official population notes link growth to healthy food stocks and document families, children, hunger and nutrition. The official material establishes the documented feature, while the dated gameplay examples help show how that feature appeared in a particular build. Keeping those two evidence types together makes it easier to separate a confirmed mechanic from an assumption based on another game. Functional housing is therefore one part of a coherent settlement rather than a guaranteed recipe for a specific birth rate.
A difference between those versions can explain apparently conflicting instructions without proving that one source is universally correct. If a step or value is not demonstrated in the collected sources, treat it as unverified and check a current developer update before relying on it. Inspect food access, city ownership and the passage of simulation time alongside the housing setup. Do not confuse residential buildings with Noble Houses, which refer to dynasties.
Also avoid waiting for residents to build the entire town automatically, because the confirmed main mode requires your worldbuilding work. Once one home functions within a configured city, expand that tested setup rather than repeating an unverified decorative arrangement across a large map. This keeps unrelated editor choices from obscuring what changed. It also gives you a clearer basis for describing a reproducible result to other players, without turning one observation into a guaranteed rule for every save or build.
Sources and verification
This answer cross-checks developer and Steam material against independent reporting or gameplay footage. Details from older demos are identified as historical because interfaces and availability can change between builds.