The Salida City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to build 200 tiny homes on a riverside parcel, marking what could become the nation’s largest tiny-home community and a showcase for a potential solution to Colorado’s housing crisis.

“I think most people are standing back to see if this thing will be successful,” Salida’s interim town manager Steven Rabe said. “It’s a pretty novel concept and from Salida’s perspective it offers a lot of other opportunities that other developments might not be able to provide.”

La Junta-based Sprout Tiny Homes wants to build 200 rentals — ranging from 200 to 800 square feet — on 19 acres the company owns along the Arkansas River. Salida annexed the property in March. The homes will be on permanent foundations. The River View at Cleora neighborhood will include a community center with a catering kitchen, fitness center, community garden, storage units, 5 acres of parks and trails. Rents will run $750 to $1,400, which includes all utilities. About a third of the units will be available as short-term rentals, alleviating the pressure in Salida, where a little more than 100 homes are available for vacation rental.

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The Tiny House Jamboree was held at the United States Air Force Academy on Sunday, August 7, 2016. Photo by Ryan Jones, The Gazette.