Capital Public Radio: Sacramento Mayor Wants To Build 1,000 ‘Tiny Homes’ In Next Two Years

Mayor Darrell Steinberg wants to build 1,000 “tiny homes” in Sacramento — and he expects it done in less than two years. “I want to ask the development community, ‘If you had a little bit of subsidy with existing resources, could you help build us a thousand tiny homes?’” asked the mayor. He revealed his new plan Monday afternoon during a conversation on Insight with Beth Ruyak. Steinberg proposed dedicating $10 million of the city’s annual housing resources for “project-based vouchers,” or Section 8 housing vouchers, to help pay for the project. Tiny homes are not a new trend. San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley and Oakland all plan to build more than 1,000 tiny homes, which can be as small as 150-square-feet and can cost as little as $15,000 to construct. The idea is a hit with some senior citizens. Sandy Hedges is 71 and lives in Citrus Heights. She had been making ends meet with her social security check and by working in an office that determines whether people have disabilities.