GREEN BAY, Wis. — More families in the Green Bay and Appleton areas are choosing to invest in “granny pods” to bring loved ones closer to home.

“Granny pods” are prefabricated suites that can be built as standalone additions to a home, or be attached to a home.

Mike Cops and his family own and operate Linked Living Homes in Appleton. They spent their Tuesday craning and installing a “granny pod” to a home in Green Bay.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Cops said.

He said the pods are in demand. The family business has tripled in the last three years.

“There’s a lot of families with aging family members that they want to take care of and have live close to them,” he said.

The pod is a 560 square foot suite the includes a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room.

Mary Chapman said that allows her to remain independent while being close to her daughter.

“My daughter and I get along very well; we like to do a lot of the same things, but we need some space,” Chapman said.

She said the pandemic made it clear to her the value of being close to loved ones.

“My husband died almost two years ago during COVID, and so there was a lot of isolation, and he had a lot of time in the hospitals where I couldn’t see him,” Chapman said.

She said now she won’t be so isolated.

Cops said it’s not lost on him what he’s helping families do with each build.

“I think it’s bringing families closer together, really,” he said. “You hear people talk about their parents are able to live with them and they don’t have to worry about that they’re being taken care of.”