The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners discussed on Thursday whether to adopt a tiny homes ordinance, revealing deep divisions about affordable housing strategies and property values.
Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger initiated the conversation, explaining her goal to “adopt Appendix Q so that we could allow for tiny homes to go in” to medium-high density and commercial areas.
Background: Appendix Q in Florida refers to a section of the Florida Building Code (FBC), Residential, that sets the official construction standards for tiny homes.
“I wanted to put this on the agenda just to have an open conversation, find out where everybody stood,” Hofberger said, adding she wanted to find solutions “that would make everyone comfortable while still preserving the integrity of our communities.”
The District 4 commissioner found little support for her ordinance idea from her colleagues.
Concerns About Property Values
Chair Commissioner Mike Kohler immediately expressed reservations: “President Lincoln once said, ‘I don’t want to be a slave, so I ain’t going to be a slave owner.’ If I’m not going to put a tiny house in my yard, I’m not going to force it on poor communities where their equity is going to be less.”
- Kohler shared his concerns about residents in Beach Haven, Edgewater and Myrtle Grove who “bought a house for $30,000 and now it’s worth $180,000.” He worried that tiny homes could decrease neighboring property values, stating, “I can’t do it. I can’t do it. So for me, it’s not fair.”
The Chair also raised practical concerns about Appendix Q’s specifications. “I’m six two,” Kohler said. “I don’t know if tall people could actually live in these things.”
The NIMBY Factor
Commissioner Lumon May argued that tiny homes wouldn’t solve the county’s broader housing crisis: “When a family has three children and a single mom, I mean it has a specific niche and I think that’s a niche that has to be addressed, but it certainly doesn’t address our affordable housing issue in terms of a family.”
- He also warned about concentration effects: “Where do they get stuck? Just like Habitat’s a great organization. I’ve supported it. Where do they all get concentrated? In low-income neighborhoods, and then you cluster everything and (everything) looks the same.”
Commissioner Steven Barry offered a more positive perspective, sharing his district’s experience. “Over the last seven or eight years, we’ve put five or six tiny homes in District 5. “They’re infill,” Barry explained. “They’ve been successful in those areas” because they haven’t created concentrated communities.
- However, Barry acknowledged the political challenges: “I would fear that an ordinance or code change would fill the room. I mean if you say in anything MDR (medium density residential) higher or any HDR (high density residential), well, it turns out John Doe lives here. There’s HDR 150 yards away from him. Well, he’s going to fear there’s going to be a tiny home community there.”
Commissioner Steve Stroberger captured the ambivalence many felt: “I’m in favor of these tiny homes, but I’m also not in favor of ‘em. I’m not in favor of where I live.”
- He suggested examining communities where tiny home developments have succeeded and failed, noting concerns about creating “tiny ghettos.”
When Hofberger pressed for specifics about whether commissioners would support high-density areas or trailer parks, Kohler responded that he’d “be more likely to consider” high-density areas and trailer parks but opposed commercial zoning for tiny homes.
The Consensus: Case-by-Case Approach
The discussion concluded with commissioners rejecting a blanket ordinance in favor of reviewing specific projects individually. Commissioner Barry summarized the sentiment: “I don’t think there’s going to be any support for an ordinance or a change in ordinance or code. I think if you’ve got an idea for a project or a parcel or a specific, something specific like that, I think there could be support for that.”
- Commissioner May agreed: “I wouldn’t vote in any ordinance that would give someone that’s not elected the opportunity to decide what goes in a neighborhood that represents the citizens.”
Hofberger thanked her colleagues for their “opinions and transparency,” acknowledging this was “exactly what I wanted. I just wanted to know where everybody stood and what would be supported.”
This is a simple math problem. The commissioner needs to find two more votes. She hasn’t built many allies on the board.
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