Posted December 7, 2021 4:19 a.m. EST
By Kasey Cunningham, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — On Tuesday, Raleigh City Council may give the green light for tiny homes to be built on their own lots in the city.
Tiny homes are one of many ideas underway to tackle affordable housing issues in the area. The proposed change that council will consider allows tiny homes up to 600 square feet on lots that are 25% smaller than current minimum lot sizes in residential districts.
If council members approve the measure, tiny homes will be able to be built on smaller lots and not just as an accessory to someone’s home.
Council members could also approve tiny homes to be included in something called a Cottage Court Development - paving the way for tiny home communities here in Raleigh.
The owners at Tiny Homes Raleigh, which builds and renovates small houses, showed WRAL News a rendering of one of the tiny homes planned in the area. Planners said there is a lot of interest in the smaller houses, especially for people who are looking for affordable housing options.
Currently, tiny homes are restricted by lot size and can be built only as an accessory to a home. On Tuesday, council members could vote for tiny homes to be considered official manufactured home development, meaning they will officially be considered homes in Raleigh.
"It's about helping people, it's about giving someone an affordable place to live, because Raleigh is not really affordable right now," said Chuck Shomo of Tiny Homes Raleigh.