West Oaks Village is opening soon in West Columbia.

It’s a tiny home community that will welcome its first residents in April. There will be eight homes on the site. Another tiny home community is planned near Lake Murray.

Tiny homes are as small as 400-square-feet, with one or two bedrooms. They are built at another location and moved to the tiny house site.

Some homeowners want to downsize for various reasons. Tiny homes are easier to maintain and associated costs, like utility bills, are lower with the small homes.

West Oaks Village is at the intersection of North Brown Street and Lacy Street, near Klapman Boulevard. That’s the district that West Columbia City Councilman David Moye represents.

“It’s important that we work with developers who want to build alternative housing,” Moye said. “We want to be very forward-thinking to offer more options.”

There is a national trend for tiny houses and builders are meeting the demand. West Oaks Village will include garbage service, landscaping, security cameras and other amenities.

“Developers are telling us there is nowhere to build, said Moye, “so West Columbia wanted to help by allowing for more housing types.”