Duluth Could Soon Allow Tiny Houses

City considering changing zoning rules to allow homes to be less than 20 feet wide, on lots less than 40 feet wide

DULUTH, Minn. – Tiny homes may soon be coming to Duluth.

City officials are now considering changing city codes to allow smaller houses to be built.

Right now, Duluth houses have to be at least twenty feet wide and residential lots have to be at least forty feet wide, but those rules could soon change to allow tiny houses.

Those are free-standing homes that are 400-square-feet or less.

They’ve been the subject of recent reality TV shows and their popularity is growing.

City officials say a lot of Duluthians have been asking about them.

“The tiny houses specifically, we’re hearing from people, I’d say we’re getting two to three inquiries a month from people who are very serious about trying to put in a tiny house but they don’t have the capability to do so because the zoning codes prohibit it,” said Adam Fulton, Deputy Director of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Duluth.

Now, the city could allow houses narrower than twenty feet and reduce them minimum lot size from forty to twenty-five feet.

Residents we spoke with at the public meeting are excited about the opportunity to build tiny homes.

They tell us it’s a way to live more sustainably and a more affordable way for people to become homeowners.

“Having the ability as a younger person to own your home and have that freedom early on gives you the ability to maximize your younger years and pursue things that you care about sooner rather than later,” said a Duluthian at the meeting.

The city is now looking for feedback about the proposal.

It will got to the Planning Commission in July with a potential vote in August and could go to the City Council for a vote soon after that.