Throughout most parts of California, almost everything is expensive.

That includes housing. But, in Santa Barbara, one developer believes that he’s solved the city’s housing shortage.

According to NoozHawk, project architect Jan Hochhauser and developer Ed Clark purchased the property, a former manufactured home community, out of bankruptcy.

 

The plan? To turn it into 40 new tiny home rental units to tackle the city’s affordable housing crisis.

“Affordable” in this instance, is in the eye of the beholder.

“It’s a market-rate rental project, but is affordable by design,” said Clark. “The two bedroom units will be rented out at $1,500 to $1,800 a month. The rental market is there.”

About a dozen of the tiny homes have already been put into place, and come in at 550 square feet. Once delivered, they install on top of a permanent slab that sits 3-to-4-feet above the ground. The entire property sits on a flood plain and is near a creek.

Clark says that due to California state guidelines, manufactured home communities are under the purview of the Housing and Urban Development Department. With state guidelines less stringent than city ones, the project has been able to move quickly.

“We expect to be done by December and begin renting units in January,” said Hochhauser.

Each home will also have a small, one vehicle driveway and communal areas for events. And, while each unit has a full kitchen and washer and dryer, they are specially sized for the homes.

 

Why Not Manufactured Homes vs. Tiny Houses?

MHLivingNews has covered the “tiny home” movement extensively, including the potential for big legal trouble for owners and a detailed side-by-side comparison with manufactured homes, highlighting function and value versus fashion.

And, several manufactured housing professionals who believe that those fascinated with tiny houses ought to be thinking manufactured homes instead.

“Anybody with a brain in their head would look at a manufactured home,” Brian Cira, president, Fairmont Homes, Nappanee, IN said.

“We do it much more efficiently, much more smartly. We’ve been doing this for decades. … We could build these [tiny houses] all day long.”

For more on the growth of tiny homes, including nearby San Luis Obispo’s effort to use them for their own housing crunch, click here. ##

 

(Image credits are as shown above.)

 

Submitted by RC Williams to the Daily Business News for MHProNews.