Escape Tampa Bay is a private sanctuary of tiny homes less than an hour from Disney World. The unique property houses more than 60 people in beautiful buildings — some as small as 8½ feet wide — that are all hurricane resistant. Escape — the company that manufactures tiny homes — built the development in a park-like setting with four different neighborhoods. The homes include 2 bedrooms, a living area, bathroom and laundry, with an average square footage of 200 to 600 feet. The homes cost as little as $156,000 to buy, and $1,400 a month to rent. Unlike mobile home parks, Escape Tampa Bay is built with permanent infrastructure like underground utilities and fiber optic Internet. There are also shared amenities on-site, including a pool and workspace area, as well as secure-entry doors in the units. In October 2024, the development took a direct hit from Hurricane Milton, with zero damage to the homes. There weren’t even any leaks or window damage. As Florida continues to confront a deepening housing affordability crisis, this small-scale development is drawing interest for its unconventional approach.
