April 9, 2026 - 7:00 am

Some east Las Vegas community members are celebrating the approval of a 50-unit affordable tiny home community by the City Council this month.

Despite a recommended denial from both the Planning Commission and city staff, a tiny home community was unanimously approved by the Las Vegas City Council on April 1. The community will sit on 2.25 acres at the northeast corner of Searles Avenue and 23rd Street in east Las Vegas.

“I’m absolutely elated by this project,” Mayor Shelley Berkley said.

Accelerated Real Estate is the project’s developer. Project officials said they will use Boxabl homes to populate the community. Boxabl is a North Las Vegas-based company that manufactures foldable, modular homes.

“The intent behind the proposed development is to provide affordable, infill housing,” said Bob Gronauer, representative for the applicants Gary and Bradley Gumm of Accelerated Real Estate.

The studio units will be 11 feet tall and 361 square feet, with space for an interior floor area that provides a living area, kitchen and bathroom with a base rent of $1,000, according to the application. All units will be fully furnished, utilities-paid and under market price rent.

Boxabl said their homes are “built to a higher code standard than most traditional manufactured homes,” according to the application. The homes are made from galvanized steel and reinforced panels; the interior walls are made of magnesium oxide, which is fire, mold, water and insect resistant; and they are energy efficient, requiring smaller air conditioning units than a traditional home.

“This is what I always envisioned,” said Councilwoman Olivia Díaz of Ward 3 about what she imagined the tiny homes to look like. “I think that we both can walk out of here proud that we did best by community, by attainability.”

Also, the site will have a community center, dog park, business center, barbecue and yoga areas, and covered picnic areas, and an onsite team member that lives in the development.

Multiple senior community members gave public comments at the council meeting to emphasize the need for this kind of development, many of which live in Gary Gumm’s existing apartment complex at 115 Apartments.

Several public commenters expressed confusion over the Planning Commission’s initial recommended denial, asking why it would say no to affordable housing. Also, many expressed interest in the tiny homes, saying they would enjoy not having to share walls with neighbors and hear outside noise.

The Planning Commission’s recommended denial because mostly because of lack of landscaping on the project, which was fixed in the final application. Other commissioners had concerns over the durability of the project given its novel nature.

Bobby Sawick, 84, told city officials during public comment that he lives in the 115 Apartments at 115 S. 14th St. and pays $975-a-month in rent.If he were forced to leave his current apartment, he would become homeless, saying he does not qualify for low-income housing thresholds at other affordable housing properties.

“This low-income housing project that is before the council is a giant step for the city of Las Vegas to get the homeless people off the streets,” Sawick said.

Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.