CURBED's Liz Stinson reports that the small town of Vail, Ariz., has started building a community of tiny homes for teachers who struggle to afford housing in the area.
The town which, is outside of Tucson and contains around 10,000 people has a median housing cost of $258,600, which puts ownership out of reach for the average school teacher. This has resulted in teachers living in Tucson and commuting 25 miles to work every day.
To help teachers stay in the communities they teach, the town has started planning for a village of a couple dozen 300- to 400-square-foot tiny homes that would sit on the school district’s land. The homes are simple but relatively spacious as far as tiny houses go, with the first examples boasting a full kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. Teachers can buy or rent the homes from the district, effectively making their boss their landlord.
According to one teacher profiled in CITYLAB's story, the lowest rent for a house in Vail is $1,200, but she will be paying around $700 a month ($125 of which goes toward leasing the land and utilities) for a tiny home she is purchasing for this new planned community.
