Advertisement Tiny house, big problem: Woman's home too small for Western Pennsylvania laws Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A West View woman wants to bring the "tiny house movement" to Pittsburgh. One big problem: Most municipalities don't allow homes as small as hers.Rachel Ford wants to own a house but can't afford it right now. She became interested in a small home."It appeals to me on an economic level," she said. "I work two jobs. I don't want to work two jobs forever."VIDEO: Watch Michelle Wright's reportFord ordered a home that is about 320 square feet and costs about $25,000. Her builder in Michigan said the home should arrive in March, so she has about a month to find a legal location for it.Not only is the home small, it's also on wheels. Most local zoning regulations require a foundation or a house that is much larger than Ford's home."It is very difficult. I'm not sure why the regulations are in place, but every borough -- not just in Pittsburgh, but nationwide -- has its own rules," Ford said. "I was looking in Economy Borough. I found a piece of land I liked that was very pretty, and it seems the minimum square footage is 700."After calling 10 local municipalities, Pittsburgh's Action News 4 found one that was considering a change in its zoning laws to accommodate tiny homes: Avalon.Borough Manager Harry Dilmore said there are small, vacant lots in Avalon, and tiny homes could be a good fit."To be able to do that and ride this new trend, we would have to make some changes," Dilmore said. "Right now, the borough, along with Bellevue and Ben Avon, are working on a new comprehensive plan and zoning that now would be the time to make the change."But it will be late summer before a vote can be taken, and Ford can't wait that long, so she continues to search for a place to start her new life of decreasing possessions, debt and impact on the environment."I have all this stuff, and I found I have to find places to put all this stuff, and I don't really need it. I don't use it," she said. "I figured why not give it away or sell it and lessen my footprint a little bit?"