West Palm Beach, FL/CBS12 News -- Where will Palm Beach County put homeless people?

They've got more than a dozen possible sites where the county says private companies will build mini-cottages for homeless people.

The county mayor says it won't cost local taxpayers a dime.

"What people really need more than anything else is a house, a tiny house," said Maria Sachs, Palm Beach County Mayor.

Sachs says a vacant lot at 2546 Westgate Avenue in West Palm Beach will soon become a community of mini-cottages for homeless people.

"We're gonna cure homeless with dignity, but with the idea that the taxpayers will not have to pay for it," Sachs explained.

Sachs provided photos of what the mini-cottages will look like. The one and two bedroom mini-cottages for homeless people will include a bathroom, a kitchenette and air-conditioning.

And they will range in size from 140 to 240 square feet.

"I think it's a great idea," said Owen O'Neill, Clinics Can Help, Founder and CEO.

Clinics Can Help, a non-profit organization that provides medical equipment and medical supplies for children and adults in need, is right next door to where the mini-cottages for the homeless will be located.

"I think it's very important that we help these people. People need a home. When you have a home, you have safety, you can have a better life. The whole community is better when people have homes," O'Neill said.

A new law in Florida took effect October 1st that bars cities and counties from allowing homeless people to sleep overnight in public places such as sidewalks and parks.

Local governments can be sued after January 1 for violating this law.

"Provide a small house for a person who is homeless and that gives them the dignity of a house. The idea of these mini-houses is that they're put together very quickly and very inexpensively and for about $15-20,000 a person can put together a mini-house," Sachs said.

Sachs says the mini-cottages will be surrounded by a fence and there will be a small cottage on-site where homeless people can get help with addiction or mental health treatment and also help finding employment.

"This is not a handout. This is gonna be a hand up. What we want to do is give them the dignity of a house, give them the security of being safe and then giving them the opportunity to get training and get a job," she said.

She says taxpayers will not have to foot the bill for these mini-cottages for the homeless.

"Who's gonna pay for this?" we asked. "Well we have tremendous amounts of funding from our Congressional partners that've already given the county money and even have more money to give us when it comes to housing," Sachs said.

Sachs says the county still needs to buy the 1.3 acre vacant lot on Westgate Avenue.

She says if everything goes according to plan, the county can acquire this property and start preparing the site before Thanksgiving.