Want to live in a tiny home? Round Rock residents can now rent one at an affordable price.

For the first time in Round Rock, residents can rent a tiny home at an affordable price.

The 2-acre Mustard Seed Village has 28 two-story homes, each with two-bedrooms and a bath included in its 822 square feet. Joseph Claypool, a Round Rock police lieutenant who founded the project, said he saw a need for affordable housing.

After hearing from his 20-year-old son, his wife, who is a teacher, and from anyone entering the workforce or moving out of their parents' house, Claypool gathered that finding an affordable home to live in Round Rock was hard. He said he wanted to create a place where people could live without having to worry about counting their dollars.

Claypool said the rent for each house is $1,375, with residents responsible for pet and electricity fees. According to rental marketplace platform Zumper, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Round Rock is $1,385, a 9% increase from the previous year.

Claypool said that within two weeks of completion in June, all of the houses were rented out. The development is Claypool's first. He said he is looking to develop another affordable community if he can finance it.

"I'm not looking to get rich," Claypool said of the community at 20 Tate Lane, near Linda Herrington Elementary School. "I think the blessing can be passed on to other people and that's kind of me and my wife's hope."

Living in the community, Claypool said, are a teacher, a single dad, a firefighter, two police officers, construction workers, college students and restaurant workers.

Faith Chavez, a 19-year-old speech pathologist student at Texas State University's Round Rock campus, moved into the community at the end of August. Chavez said that for her it was important to find a place that was affordable and near campus.

Having grown up on a ranch in Cuero, Chavez said she really having neighbors and a short commute to class.

"It's nice having people around that always want to talk and hang out," she said.

Iani Kaululaau said she moved into the village because her previous apartment was increasing rent by $400 a month, which was out of her budget. She said only having to pay rent, a pet deposit and for electricity, her current price is very reasonable.

Kaululaau says her favorite part about living in the Mustard Seed Village is the community environment.

"We all know each other," she said. "We all look out for each other. We are all saying hi when we see each other and it's been really nice."

With a shared laundry space, an outdoor fire pit and a dog park, a girls' boarding home is at the center of the village. The girls are part of a one-year program through Teen Challenge, which helps struggling girls to become successful adults once they graduate from high school.

Claypool said the nonprofit was looking for someone to acquire the land that would continue its work. He said he saw it as a great investment to help girls and possibly help them move into homes in the village.

Claypool said the death of his 1-year-old daughter, Abigail, inspired him and his wife to buy the land and help continue the work of the nonprofit.

"We are keeping her legacy alive," Claypool said. "Our goal is to give back to the community and hopefully bless a young lady in (Abigail's) name, in memory of her legacy."

More: Three takeaways from summit on affordability in Central Texas

Rene Flores, a Round Rock City Council member and a loan officer for the Amplify Credit Union, said approving a loan to Claypool to build Round Rock's first tiny home community was a good decision given the issue of affordability in the city.

"We know (affordability is) a real issue, Flores said. ""As a City Council, we're always being approached a lot with affordability issues and concerns."

Claypool said he talked to six different banks before he spoke to Flores and was approved for a loan.

In May, Flores said Amplify Credit Union hosted an affordability summit, bringing together experts in the workforce and finance sectors to discuss the future of affordability in the area.

Claypool said the village is named after his mother, who used to say mustard seeds could move mountains.

"The name of the community is Mustard Seed Village because it starts with something small and it grows into a blessing," Claypool said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Tiny homes for rent in Round Rock provide affordability to residents