On a plot just behind the post office in Stroud, a group of homes is situated. All are brand new, with most already filled with residents. While they look nice and tidy, there’s one big difference between these homes and those around them.
They’re tiny. More tiny homes are popping up in Stroud, reflecting that an increasing number of people are looking to downsize.
“All the surveys are pointing to this kind of housing, with your senior living, your young starter homes. This is what they say that we need,” said City Manager Bob Pearman.
Tiny homes are typically 400 to 500 square feet, although some can be as large as 1,000 square feet, according to market researcher Business Research Insights.
They gained popularity during the pandemic and are expected to continue growing, according to the research firm’s latest study in 2025.
The study reported that tiny homes, on average, cost between $10,000 and $30,000, depending on their size and design. It stated that they also use significantly less energy than regular homes and have lower longterm energy costs, which drives their popularity.
Josh Hinman, a local developer, built the group of homes behind the post office and has a few more under construction. In total, he’s built about seven homes.
“Before COVID, I had plans to build a lot of new places, but materials were through the roof,” he said. “And I thought, you know what? I’m going to build some little houses. Hopefully, I’ll get some older, single ladies in them and they’ll take care of them. Start that way and then go bigger.”
The houses are approximately 540 square feet in size, but they come equipped with all new appliances and a surprising amount of storage space. There’s a built-in counter and cabinets in the laundry area, plus granite countertops in the kitchen. The homes have only one bedroom, but they come with a sizable walk-in closet, along with an open concept living room and kitchen. Hinman said they’re plenty big for two people and are also energy efficient.
Rent runs about $1,100, including utilities. Only one of those homes is still open, with the others currently occupied. He said he can typically get about four houses -- from start to finish -- built in about two and a half to three months. Hinman is currently building four other houses that are slightly bigger, with three bedrooms and two baths. Those should be ready by around Sept. 1.
He added that VA has expressed interest in working with him through the VASH Program to help provide affordable housing to veterans.
The homes fit in with the City of Stroud’s plans to encourage more housing development. Recently, the City Council created an overlay district specifically for tiny and mobile homes. They currently have a few in the area, with plenty of space for more.
“The overlay district is the district, it’s an area of town where there’s a lot of empty lots, and we don’t have a whole lot of population down there. All of our utilities are in place, so it’s a perfect location. We would love to see it be developed,” City Manager Pearman said. “In hopes that we can get somebody to come in with some affordable housing, tiny houses, mobile homes, even, and bring some population to town.”
In addition to the homes, Pearman said the City is hoping to get a legacy grant to build a park that connects the overlay district to already existing neighborhoods, including Sac and Fox housing.
“This park would be for the south side of town. We don’t have anything down here, so we wanted to build this park for the people here,” he added.
Pearman added that Hinman does high-quality work with his homes, praising the layout and storage capacity. Though he did admit there was one thing he might have an issue with should he move into one of the tiny homes. The washer and dryer combo.
“It would be a very small load that you could put in it,” he joked. “Maybe just what you wore that day.”