Housing

The city set a target of 1,125 cases a year, but is off to a less ambitious start.

After more than two years of work, the Tiny House project in St. Louis’ Benton Park West neighborhood is complete.

The Staenberg Group has plans to redevelop the site into a “Downtown Chesterfield” with housing, retail spaces, restaurants and more. Developers expect it to be four years before people can start moving into new residential units.

Since April 2023, the project concentrated along the 3600 and 3700 blocks of Hebert Street has rehabilitated 10 homes and newly constructed eight.

It’s a project that takes cues from similar ones built across the country in recent years in places like Austin, Dallas, Phoenix and San Jose.

The federal government says new safety standards and building materials mean home buyers priced out of site-built houses have viable options. As storms become stronger and more frequent, experts are tempering expectations.

The nonprofit purchased properties to renovate or demolish existing houses and to construct new ones like those in the housing development, a 20-home subdivision called Lansdowne Park.

It’s a familiar rule: People should not spend more than 30% of their income on housing. But for many who rent in St. Louis, that percentage has long been higher.

The industry group will pay out $418 million over approximately four years, remove compensation offers from multiple listing services and require multiple listing service participants to enter written agreements with buyers.

The program provides $12,500 in forgivable home loans to any benefits-eligible employee.