Dive Brief:

• Alchemy Architects is joining forces with homebuilder Robert Engstrom Co., the East Side Neighborhood Development Co. and the Metropolitan Council to build a tiny house community in St. Paul, MN, according to the Pioneer Press.
• If approved, the community would include 36 units in a 1.5-acre area in the city. The homes in the neighborhood would range from 300 to 1,200 square feet and would be permanent structures, rather than built on wheels.
• The properties would sell for approximately $100,000 and produce approximately 7% of greenhouse gases generated by the average U.S. home, according to Alchemy Architects.

Dive Insight:

A representative from Alchemy Architects — which has already been in the tiny house design business with its Weehouses — told the Pioneer Press of the small homes, "They would not quite look like giant Legos, but maybe a little bit."

In order to win approval, proponents of the development must convince the city to change its zoning codes to allow the small structures. Zoning regulations have proven to be the biggest obstacle for tiny house developers and builders. Washington, DC, changed its accessory dwelling unit regulations in May to allow homeowners in District neighborhoods to build tiny houses in their backyards. And officials in Tuscon's Pima County, AZ, announced new rules to allow tiny houses with a foundation to be built anywhere that single-family homes are allowed.

The popularity of tiny houses is sweeping the U.S., both as a way of living off the grid, but also as a possible housing solution for urban homebuyers who can't afford, or don't want, a larger, more expensive home. Several cities — including Reno, NV, and Greenfield, MA — are considering allowing the development of tiny home communities to offer residents more affordable housing options. Sprout Tiny Homes is also currently building the nation's largest tiny home community — with 200 units — in Salida, CO.