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Two 500 square foot homes were recently installed on a vacant lot in Duluth on <br />Monday to provide housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. Courtesy of <br />Jamie Stoplestad from Yard Homes MN <br />Changing rules <br />Until a couple years ago developers in Minnesota couldn't even build <br />houses smaller than 400 square feet. <br />But in 2020, Stolpestad explained, the state residential building code <br />was amended to allow them, as long as they're connected to sewer and <br />water and built on a frost -protected foundation. <br />In other states, "tiny homes" are often built on wheels, and can be <br />transported from place to place. <br />Stolpestad's company builds prefabricated homes that typically are <br />placed in someone's backyard. Cities refer to them as "accessory <br />dwelling units." They're often referred to as "granny fits." <br />Until about 2006, he said, local governments didn't allow them. Now, <br />37 cities and counties permit their use, including Minneapolis, St. Paul <br />and Duluth. <br />That's the rule that permitted the placement of two small homes in <br />Duluth to house veterans, a partnership with the Minnesota Assistance <br />Council for Veterans. <br />There are other challenges. In Duluth, developer Sean Dixon <br />encountered delays and unexpected costs in hooking up his tiny house <br />to city sewer and water. <br />Some neighbors have bristled at new development on lots that have <br />long sat vacant, and questioned the projects' impacts on property <br />values. <br />And while the cost of building smaller homes is of course smaller, <br />Fulton said other costs, including utilities and permitting, are the same. <br />Still, as developers and lenders become more comfortable with the <br />concept of tiny homes, Fulton only expects the trend to grow. <br />"We've had lots of inquiries; I would expect that we will see more of it. <br />We're just trying to make sure that we are providing as many <br />opportunities as we can across the board for new housing in Duluth," <br />he said. <br />Until a couple years ago developers in Minnesota couldn't even build houses smaller <br />than 400 square feet. Now, 37 cities allow it. Ben Hovland I MPR News <br />Supreme Court seems to tilt strongly toward Minneapolis woman in <br />pLopgrW rights case <br />A Minneapolis woman didn't taxes. Now her house is focus of <br />property rights test case <br />$50 million infusion will shore up emerged assistance for <br />Minnesotans on cusp of homelessness <br />