JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville is short thousands of affordable homes, and the rising cost of rent and mortgages is forcing many families to look for alternatives. One solution gaining traction: tiny homes.
At just under 500 square feet, Karen Henderson’s house may be considered “tiny” to some, but for her, it’s just right.
“Come on in,” Henderson said as she showed News4JAX around her new space. “This is my living room and my full kitchen.”
Henderson used to live in a 3,600-square-foot home in Jacksonville with four bedrooms, a pool, and even a four-car garage. Downsizing wasn’t easy, but she says it was necessary.
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“It’s smaller, but my utility bills are half what they were,” Henderson said. “And of course, selling my other home to pay for this one was a plus. So it’s been a lot more affordable than what the other home was.”
She’s not alone. With housing costs soaring across Jacksonville, more people are turning to tiny homes as an affordable alternative to traditional houses or renting.
Marc Cousins, who runs Jax Tiny Homes, built Henderson’s house and says he’s now getting more requests than ever.
“The cost of these homes, we have studios going for about $70,000. That’s a start to build,” Cousins said. “I see a lot of situations where people are building it for their aging parents. Instead of buying somewhere new, they have this space in the backyard. They can build equity on their home as well.”
In 2022, Jacksonville’s City Council passed a bill allowing backyard cottages, known as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in an effort to expand housing options. City rules currently limit ADUs to no more than 25% of the size of the main house.
Housing advocates say alternative options like ADUs and tiny homes could help bridge the affordability gap, especially as more families are priced out of the market.
For Henderson, the decision to downsize has been life-changing.
“It’s plenty big for me,” she said. “Two people could live in this comfortably.”
And as she looks around her cozy space, Henderson says she has no regrets.
“It’s absolutely the best option for me,” she said. “I wouldn’t change it.”