The Lafayette County Planning Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit on Monday that will allow JHM-Tiny House Rentals LLC to construct a modular home off of county road 217.

The permit was required because the property is in an R-2 residential district, which is zoned for single-family residential dwellings and accessory structures. Modular homes are not allowed outright in R-2 districts within Lafayette County, but can be approved on a case-by-case basis through the use of a conditional use permit.

Jimmy McGlawn, the owner of JHM-Tiny House Rentals, said he intends to use the structure as a rental property, and added that he is interested in constructing more affordable housing throughout the community.

“According to a study done by the Housing Insecurity Lab, University of Mississippi and LOU-Home, ‘the need for affordable housing in Oxford is severe and has only increased over time,'” McGlawn wrote in his application for the permit. “The overall objective is to develop a model that can be replicated throughout the community.”

The commission granted McGlawn the permit for the single dwelling, but warned that residents may object to the construction of additional such homes.

“If you decide to make it a rental complex you would have the idea of your neighbors objecting to changing the character of the neighborhood,” said Commissioner Ray Garrett.

McGlawn assured the commissioners that the adjacent properties are owned by family members who will not object to the project, and added that he is willing to work with other neighbors should they raise objections down the line.

The project will go before the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors for final approval on Sept. 19.