I’m a millennial first-time buyer who moved into a micro home village. I had to downsize my stuff, but it was worth it for the community. [Video]

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kristi Campbell, a 28-year-old business consultant, who moved into micro-home community South Park Cottages in 2023. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2020, I left New York after living there for seven years, pursuing both my master’s and bachelor’s degrees, and working as a consultant. The city is all about hustling and bustling, and I realized it wasn’t necessarily for me.

When the pandemic hit, I thought it was a great time to move back to East Atlanta and my parents’ house where I was raised. The plan was to move out and buy my first home by November 2023. I had even saved up $10,000.

In 2022, my boyfriend sent me a link to South Park Cottages’ website, a Black-owned tiny home village. I absolutely fell in love.

The village’s homes are newly built with a modern aesthetic. It’s also close to the airport and …