Live Oak to residents: sheds aren’t houses

The City of Live Oak wants to stop people from using backyard sheds for housing.

Council Member Lynda Owens says she’s received several complaints from residents.

“Let’s ask our code enforcement to start penalizing people who are living in these sheds,” Owens says. “I know housing is an issue. It’s a very big problem everywhere, but those sheds are coming up and they’re not livable.”

Owens says without utilities, sheds pose a health and safety risk to people living in them and to neighbors.

The city’s zoning manager says the Florida building code certifies sheds for storage purposes only.