SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - It's a micro-sized response to some of the largest problems Californians are now facing - housing affordability and homelessness.
More people are beginning to sit up and take notice of tiny homes, which are powered by two small electric cords, providing a more eco-friendly and affordable housing option.
A small but growing number of San Diegans are opting to downsize their lives.
Millennial Ben Rawson is the mastermind behind Brent Murphy's tiny 224-square-feet cozy home, along with a number of other similar customized dwellings.
Rawson's designs save space and dramatically reduce the homeowner's carbon footprint.
The tiny homes could be a way of life that addresses the housing affordability crisis and may also help provide a viable solution for the homeless.
The average tiny house costs around $50,000. The tiny homes currently in San Diego are under 400-square-feet and fall into a legal gray area when it comes to zoning.
Rawson said he currently builds according to the recreational vehicle guidelines.
While the legalities play out, Rawson has partnered with a developer and they are planning to debut a development of the cost-effective homes somewhere in North County.
"We are pretty confident we are going to be able to establish the first community of more than just one tiny house," he said.
He is equally confident that dwellings like tiny houses, which celebrate small-scale living, will eventually take off on a large scale.
