Demand for tiny homes has been sweeping the nation, spurred in part by the high cost of owning and the desire to live simpler, with less.

In Detroit, the fad is serving a different purpose: An opportunity for low-income residents to become homeowners, reports Jeffrey Brown of PBS NewsHour.

Led by Cass Community Social Services, the local project is one of many efforts to help rebuild the metro area after it became the largest U.S. city to file for bankruptcy in 2013. The non-profit bought 25 vacant lots from the city for $15,000, total, and intends to spend $40,000 to $50,000 building a tiny home on each, with the help of a volunteer workforce.

The homes will range from 250-square-feet to 400-square-feet. But the cramped quarters don't appear to be a turn off. Hundreds of low-income earners have already applied to live in the seven tiny homes that are fully built.