Venice mobile home owners apply to use tiny homes, other alternatives after hurricanes

VENICE: So, here’s the scoop. Owners of 45 mobile homes in Venice are looking to switch things up after the hurricanes. They want to tear down their old homes and put in some sturdier options like tiny homes and container homes.

This move comes after the city decided to let folks replace their damaged mobile homes with these alternative structures. It’s a pretty smart way to bounce back, right? Out of those 45 permits, 26 are from either Venice Bay Mobile Home Park or the Harbor Lights community, which are both located near Tamiami Trail.

The city had initially thought about changing zoning rules for Venice Bay Mobile Home Park, but after digging into the existing codes, they figured tiny homes and container homes could actually fit in without needing a zoning change. This is especially good news for those who lost their homes to hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Now, Sarasota County and nearby cities have their own rules about what can go in mobile home parks. In Sarasota County, for example, only mobile homes and travel trailers are allowed in certain areas. But tiny homes on wheels? They can slide in as mobile homes too.

In the city of Sarasota, they have strict definitions for what counts as a mobile home, and shipping containers aren’t allowed in residential zones. But tiny homes? They’re still on the table.

North Port is a bit more flexible. They allow both tiny homes and container homes in some areas, but they have to be built on a solid foundation and follow the Florida Building Code.

So, it looks like Venice is on the right track, giving residents some solid options to rebuild after the storms.