Volusia County Issues RFP for Tiny Home Village Development in Orange City

Volusia County has opened procurement for a tiny home village project, issuing Request for Proposals Project ID 26-P-49MC that seeks qualified non-profit developers to design, develop, and construct a tiny home community. The county lists available HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds of approximately $800,000 and a donated parcel valued at $684,000; together these inputs form the basis for an estimated total project cost of $1,500,000 - $3,000,000 and a budgeting assumption of at least 20 tiny home units.

The procurement listing was published 2/5/2026 and identifies Carmen Hall, Procurement Analyst II, as the county contact. Carmen Hall can be reached at chall@volusia.org or (386) 736-5955 for the official RFP packet, submission requirements, and selection timeline. The listing also shows several unlabeled dates - 2/18/2026, 2/25/2026, 3/12/2026 and 2/11/2026 - and an unexplained entry of "1095 days," which prospective proposers should clarify with the procurement office before preparing responses.

The RFP arrives amid local momentum and active policy work on affordable housing. DeLand adopted an ordinance in October 2025 to allow tiny home communities in its Core Gateway Overlay, with zoning limits that bar lots fronting New York Avenue or Woodland Boulevard, prohibit trailers, require designated parking spaces, and allow structures up to 35 feet tall. The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia has signaled plans for a tiny-home transitional community north of its shelter intended to house up to 16 people for several months, and possibly for stays up to one or two years. Savannah-Jane Griffin of the Neighborhood Center said, "With an ordinance like this, it's allowing us to build a development of tiny homes that will serve as transitional housing to people that are in a situation where they need just time to stabilize."

Tiny-home products under consideration in the region range from roughly 320 - 532 square feet, with one- or two-bedroom layouts, full kitchens and bathrooms, and some plans including a second floor; local developers and realtors have suggested asking prices starting at $160,590 for market units. The county-level RFP, by contrast, explicitly targets nonprofit developers and appears oriented toward funding and operating models that could include transitional housing, permanent affordable ownership, or blended approaches.

Volusia County planning work provides further context. A county affordable housing committee identified three focus areas to reduce barriers: Time and Cost Certain for permitting, Impact Fees and Permitting Fees, and Code Changes for integration and flexibility. The committee, chaired by D.J. Lebo and including members such as Scott Banta and Randy Jenkins, recommended drafting a new affordable housing ordinance into Chapter 72 pending approval of a Consolidated Affordable Housing Plan.

What this means locally is practical: nonprofits and housing partners now have a concrete procurement opportunity tied to HOME funds and a land donation, but they will likely need additional capital to reach the $1.5M - $3M build range. Contact Carmen Hall at chall@volusia.org or (386) 736-5955 to request the official RFP, confirm deadlines and site specifics, and learn the selection criteria. Mr. Walton’s comment that "Everybody talks about it being a front burner thing, something's going to be taken care of…But nobody's willing to do anything" underscores the leap from discussion to shovel-ready projects; this RFP marks a clear step toward action, and the next weeks will show whether local nonprofits and partners move from plans to proposals.