There is an island in the Mississippi River that has unofficially become home to a number of tiny homes that have claimed it as their own.

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Have you ever heard of Latsch Island? I hadn't until I came across an interesting video by the Off the Cuff YouTube channel. Here's how they described this community of tiny homes that have made this area their own:

Here, an Off-Grid community of Tiny Home Houseboats and Boathouses have taken over an island - proving that living Off-Grid isn’t only reserved for land dwellers. With over 100 Tiny Home houseboats and boathouses, Latsch island is one of the most unique Off-Grid communities in America. Residents on the island live a self-governed life of freedom and mobility as they dictate their own laws and travel freely on the Mississippi River.

They spoke to some of these free spirits, many of whom are completely off-the-grid.

Latsch Island is located near Winona, Minnesota right on the Wisconsin border.

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According to Wikipedia, boathouses began trying to make this island home way back in 1930. The island is now officially a part of Winona, Minnesota and the city restricts the island to no more than 101 houseboats. According to Wikipedia, the city charges the houseboats $350 per year.

One interesting side note is that the tiny house/boat owners are not allowed to repair their homes beyond 50% of their original value. Wikipedia says that this was an effort to discourage people from trying to settle there. It hasn't worked.

Latsch Island remains the watery home of many free spirits who live as unattached to the world as possible.

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