Post Written By Michael Deslongchamps

Housing needs change throughout a person’s life. A young family may be trying to find an affordable first home. An older couple may want to downsize after their children have moved out. A single parent or someone living on a limited income may need a smaller place with manageable rent.

Tiny homes could help meet some of those needs, and for that reason I support the idea of developing a well-planned tiny home community in Warrenton.

Housing affordability is an important part of the conversation. U.S. Census Bureau data show that Warrenton’s median household income is about $61,000, while the median value of an owner-occupied home is about $205,000. Median gross rent is about $964 per month, and approximately 14.6 percent of Warrenton residents live below the poverty level.

Those numbers do not tell us what type of housing to build. They do tell us that affordability matters.

For young families just starting out, buying a traditional home can be difficult. Housing costs compete with childcare, transportation, insurance, groceries, student loans, and the other expenses that come with raising a family. A smaller home at a lower purchase price could give some of these families a realistic opportunity to become homeowners.

That matters.

Homeownership gives a family a chance to build equity and put down roots. It also gives Warrenton a chance to keep young families here as they build their careers, raise their children, and become more involved in the community.

Tiny homes could serve a very different need for older residents. Some people reach a point where they simply do not need a large house anymore. They may also want to reduce the expense and work involved in maintaining a larger home and property.

Downsizing should not have to mean leaving Warrenton.

A smaller home could allow an older resident or couple to remain independent while staying close to family, friends, churches, doctors, businesses, and the community they know. There is another possible benefit. When an older household moves into a smaller home, the larger home they leave behind becomes available for a growing family that needs the additional space.

I also believe tiny homes could provide additional rental housing for lower-income families and individuals.

Not everyone is ready to buy a home. Some may not want to. A single parent, a senior on a fixed income, a young adult starting a career, or someone recovering from a financial setback may simply need a safe place to live at a rent they can manage.

Smaller rental homes could add another option.

That does not mean lowering our standards. Affordable housing should still be well built and well maintained. Whether the homes are owned or rented, Warrenton should require appropriate construction, parking, property maintenance, stormwater management, landscaping, and long-term management of the development.

Affordable should describe the price, not the quality.

There is another use for tiny homes that deserves a separate discussion.

In St. Charles, Missouri, city leaders have been discussing a tiny-home community as one possible way to address chronic homelessness. The proposal being considered is based on permanent supportive housing rather than a temporary shelter. The basic idea is to provide people with a small, stable place to live while connecting them with services intended to help them remain housed.

I think Warrenton should pay attention to that discussion.

That does not mean copying St. Charles. It also does not mean putting first-time homeowners, lower-income renters, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness into one development. These are different groups with different needs, and trying to treat them as a single housing problem would be a mistake.

A traditional tiny home neighborhood might focus on homeownership and downsizing. Another development might provide affordable rental housing. A supportive-housing program for people experiencing homelessness would likely require a different location, management structure, funding model, and partnerships with organizations capable of providing the necessary services.

The common element is the home itself. A smaller home may allow us to provide housing in situations where a larger and more expensive home does not make financial sense.

I am open to Warrenton examining whether supportive tiny housing could eventually have a role here. Any such program would need clear rules, responsible management, sustainable funding, accountability, and partnerships with qualified organizations. Housing by itself will not address every cause of homelessness.

But stable housing can provide a place to start.

None of these ideas should bypass the standards we expect from other development. Before approving a tiny home community, Warrenton should determine whether its water, sewer, roads, stormwater systems, police, fire, and other public services can support it. Where legally permitted, developers should bear the reasonable infrastructure costs created by their projects.

Infrastructure comes first.

Location matters too. We should not approve a development on a particular property simply because the land is available. We should consider the surrounding neighborhoods, road access, utilities, nearby businesses and services, and Warrenton’s long-term development plans. The location should also make sense for the people the development is intended to serve.

There are economic considerations as well. Young families who stay in Warrenton become customers of local businesses. Older residents who can downsize without leaving town continue spending money here. People who obtain stable rental housing buy groceries, use local services, eat at restaurants, and participate in the community.

Housing and economic development are connected.

The public should also be involved before decisions are made. Residents should know what type of development is being proposed, where it would be located, whether the homes would be owned or rented, who the development would serve, how it would be managed, what infrastructure would be needed, and what effect it could have on surrounding properties.

I support pursuing a tiny home community in Warrenton because I believe smaller homes could fill gaps that our current housing market does not always address.

They could give a young family a more affordable first step into homeownership. They could give an older resident a practical way to downsize without leaving Warrenton. They could provide lower-income families and individuals with another rental option. And a separate, properly managed supportive-housing program might someday help people who are struggling with homelessness find stability.

Tiny homes will not solve every housing problem.

They do not need to.

They simply need to provide another useful option for people who need one.

We can expand housing choices without lowering our standards. We can make housing more affordable without ignoring infrastructure. We can consider new ideas while still asking hard questions about cost, location, management, and impact.

That is the approach I believe makes sense for Warrenton.

Make Warrenton better, not simply bigger.