Could tiny homes provide solution in Raleigh's competitive housing market?

On Tuesday, Raleigh's city council set a date for next month to discuss a proposal to allow these smaller homes on smaller lots.

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Their prices range from $70,000 to $120,000 dollars, far below the latest median sales price of $410,000 for a home in Wake County.

Dexter Tillett and Chuck Shomo, partners in Tiny Homes Raleigh, say 10 people are ready to build in the city as soon as council approves a zoning change to allow tiny homes - up to 600 square feet - on smaller lots of land.

Tillett and Shomo provide people with templates and easy access in order to cut down costs – but they still keep their designs funky and unique, with open floor plans that feel "big" but fit into smaller spaces.

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"One of the things we hear a lot of concerns about are historically affordable housing – that’s smaller, 1000-1200 square feet – being replaced with very large houses," said Young. "These provisions would prohibit that on these new small lots that are allowed."

"It’s going to be the onus of the developer and the private entities to buy pieces of land, hire a company like us to build tiny homes and sell them or rent them at an affordable price point," said Tillett.

The proposal would not allow manufactured homes to qualify as tiny homes. That's something the planning commission removed from the draft.

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Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin is asking city staff for more discussion on that before a public hearing next month.

Tillett believes tiny homes are a small piece of the puzzle to build more affordable housing in Raleigh.

"We’re just growing so fast that we have to some how get more density and housing options," he said.

Raleigh's city council will hold a public hearing on tiny homes on December 7.

Later this month, the council will also take up changes to the 2030 Comprehensive Plan to allow more so-called "missing middle housing" – meaning duplexes, townhomes, and small apartments.