(Branson) — Contractors have broken ground on a tiny-home village in Branson, where poverty is a growing concern.
While tourists flock to Branson by the millions, many frontline workers can’t afford to live in the city they serve.
One in five Branson residents lives below the poverty line – and more than 1,500 people, including 300 children, reside in substandard housing such as weekly motels.
These statistics are what motivated Elevate Branson co-founder and CEO Bryan Stallings to envision a five-acre tiny-home development.
Backed by grants from the state of Missouri and private foundations, Stallings said the 70-home project will become one of the largest permanent tiny-home communities in the country.
“So most tiny homes are on wheels. These are not,” said Stallings. “These are on permanent foundations, 400 square feet or less. So, they’re a single bedroom and bath, water, sewer – all the stuff you would have in your normal home. They’re just smaller.”
Low-income residents can rent a fully furnished tiny home for $400 a month, utilities included. Sponsorships are also available at $45,000 per home.
Stallings said he anticipates they’ll be move-in ready sometime in 2026.
Branson currently needs more than 2,200 additional housing units to meet existing demand. Stallings acknowledged that the new tiny-home village is only a piece of the solution.
He emphasized that the project’s impact reaches beyond providing shelter.
He said his vision is to create a community where residents can elevate their lives through connecting with others and have access to vital resources.
“We’ll have some micro-businesses,” said Stallings, “some opportunities for them to not only have employment training, but places for them to work in the village itself.”
As of 2024, there are more than 10,000 tiny homes across the country. Surveys reveal that 73% of Americans would consider living in a tiny home, with Gen Z and millennials showing the most interest.