A California Startup Rolls Out Flat-Pack Tiny Homes That Start at $38K

Tiny homes are big business—or at least they could be. As the U.S. housing crisis continues, several fledgling prefab companies are vying to provide the most effective housing solution for the widest range of scenarios. Some are meant to be added to backyards to increase density, while others are designed to withstand fires and hurricane-force winds in disaster prone areas. But one new Los Angeles company has another angle—a folding tiny home that can be relocated ad infinitum to provide shelters to areas in need.

"Most of today’s housing solutions are designed to sit on a concrete foundation for decades and never move again," claims Scott Kevern, who founded Vika Living in September 2021 with Jeff Howard. "We’re focused on the underserved niche of flexible housing, building small living spaces that can be transported efficiently and deployed again and again."

To fill what they view as a gap in the tiny home marketplace, Howard and Kevern have just rolled out their company’s first product, the Vika One. The foldable prefab—vika is Swedish for fold—features a 144-square-foot open plan with a living area, a bed that converts into seating, and a table that collapses into the wall. The program is rounded out with a full kitchen and bathroom.