Bloomberg seeks developer for tiny homes

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NEW YORK, July 10 (UPI) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a contest designed to encourage development of tiny apartments for young singles.

Bloomberg said the developer who wins the contest will receive a contract to create about 80 so-called micro units, measuring only 275- to 300 square feet, at a city-owned lot on East 27th Street, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

Bloomberg said he will waive city rules requiring newly built apartments to have at least 400 square feet of space. He said the micro units will make more room for the city's 1.8 million single person and two person households.

"The city's demographics have changed," Bloomberg said. "It used to be the average household was a family, a couple of adults and some children."