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Remember Geico’s reality show spoof commercial “Tiny House”? It may be turning into even more of a reality for solitary New Yorkers who could find themselves living a little more like Alice in Wonderland after imbibing the growing potion. Or, the City could simply be updating itself to resemble living situations in comparable cities worldwide.

(by Alissa Fleck)

Mayor Bloomberg announced today a contest to design a small apartment layout—like 300 square feet small, reports Gothamist. The goal is to meet changing housing and demographic needs and put an end to rampant illegally subdivided apartments in the City.

“Developing housing that matches how New Yorkers live today is critical to the City’s continued growth, future competitiveness and long-term economic success,” said Bloomberg in a statement. 76% of New Yorkers currently live in 1-2 person households, according to Gothamist. 

The competition is called adAPT NYC and the aim is to develop a model building in the Kip’s Bay neighborhood consisting of “micro-units,” or residences smaller than what is allowed under current regulations. The statement okays designs as small as 275 square feet. According to Bloomberg, NYC housing has thus far not evolved to meet the City’s shifting demographics.

Bloomberg said the benefits and stability of affordable housing in the City outweigh the sacrifices for space. The City will temporarily waive zoning regulations for the units in the pilot program while their viability is ascertained. Rental price cannot be determined at this time, but will likely be lower than typical studio rental.

Hopefully this will simply create more options, as Bloomberg promises, rather than merely lower living standards for New Yorkers.

But after the bills were introduced, the department reversed the rule and supported Schneiderman and Rosenthal’s legislation.

“I am proud to say that the State Education Department has achieved supreme awareness and enlightenment on this issue,” said Schneiderman in a statement.

The legislators are still pushing the bill, which has passed the Senate’s Higher Education Committee and is awaiting a full Senate vote.

Yoga studios received letters last month from the Department of Education ordering them to stop training their own instructors and not to re-open until they had completed and been approved by a state-run curriculum. The bill proposed by Schneiderman and Rosenthal would provide exemptions for instruction that is for the purpose of leisure, hobby or personal enrichment.

“Yoga studios have been unfairly singled out by overzealous regulators who’ve completely misinterpreted state law,” Schneiderman said. “The Education Department needs to get enlightened.”