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Tiny homes in Franklin helping to combat lack of housing

tiny homes franklin.PNG
Posted at 6:40 AM, Jan 03, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-03 07:40:55-05

An innovative way to combat the lack of housing in Franklin, mobile tiny homes, are making their way to St. Mary Parish.

"There are wait lists of people here that are elderly and they have no place to live or they're living with family or they're living with relatives or they're just homeless," says Kemyana Jones-Bey "I didn't realize that was such a crisis and thinking about that, I thought of a solution."

That solution is mobile tiny homes. The first of their kind to be built in Kemyana's hometown of Franklin.

Kemyana says these homes are convenient and safe for anyone who wants a nice place to live, but doesn't need a lot of space.

But you might be wondering how much these homes cost.

"You're talking about $25,000 or $30,000 and you can get into a home," says engineer Anne Johnson-Bey. "That's just unheard of nowadays."

Jones-Bey says this makes monthly payments around $250 a month. It's a price she says is perfect for those living off of social security.

And when it comes to safety, Jones-Bey and her team say the homes are able to withstand Louisiana's severe weather and meet parish zoning requirements as a risk factor two.

Director of Economic Development for St. Mary Parish, Evan Boudreaux agrees that the homes are a great option for those in need, or those just planting their roots.

"I honestly am hopeful that this is going to be the catalyst moment that we're going to see more people thinking well if St. Mary Parish can do this," says Boudreaux. "What other innovative ideas can we do?"

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