One tiny home community is helping residents find permanent housing by living in unusual amenities.
Tiny homes are soaring in popularity as Americans look to cut their monthly expenses.
Many tiny home fans have formed groups and even created their own communities. Rent is cheap there, and there are no limits to custom tiny house design.
But one community, DignityMoves, opened last year in Santa Barbara, California, as a village of zero-rent, prefab tiny homes.
The facility was designed to house the city’s homeless population, and in just one year, more than half of the residents were able to find permanent housing.
The community was originally home to 66 people, but now 36 people live in their own living spaces.
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However, the components of this space are a bit unconventional, with all units constructed entirely from shipping containers.
The village is located on a former parking lot surrounded by palm trees and with mountain views.
The entire housing complex cost $1.7 million to build last year, after Santa Barbara County provided $700,000 in funding.
simple life
This project tiny house was built by Boss Tiny House for simple but beautiful living.
Each house has a bed, window and desk, and is equipped with air conditioning and heating.
Throughout the tiny home community, residents have access to caseworkers, dining halls, computer labs, and gardens.
This is in addition to Dignity Moves laundry, bathroom and shower units.
Each private space also comes with a lock, giving you the privacy and comfort of your own home.
“We take for granted what it feels like to be alone,” said Elizabeth Funk, founder and CEO of Dignity Move. insider.
Santa Barbara County is home to about 3,500 homeless people overall, and last year 66 were able to find housing in the new village.
Funk said he has seen “shocking changes” in residents over the past year.
Other Dignity Moves communities have been established in Sonoma County and San Francisco, and more may be coming soon.
As for the Santa Barbara location, Funk hopes to add 400 more beds, but it’s unclear when that will be possible.
smaller home community
Other small home communities are increasingly popping up across the United States.
The village of Lilac Homes in Kennewick, Washington is open to those in need.
The 16 homes shelter some of the most at-risk people in the community.
“We will be able to house the individuals we targeted,” Housing Authority President Rona Hammer said.
“That includes homeless veterans, homeless people with disabilities, and homeless families with children.”
Meanwhile, in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, Raven Village has 22 properties for sale.
Residents have access to an on-set community kitchen, bathrooms, showers, laundry facilities, staff offices, and gardens.
small house advice
If you want to live alone in a small house, you need to find and build a room yourself.
The most common types of units tend to be either cabins or RVs, and both have their pros and cons.
Although an RV gives you the flexibility to go anywhere you want, your town’s ordinances may require you to park in certain spaces for short periods of time.
You also need to know your state and county’s zoning laws to use a cabin, since you can’t just live in a cabin on someone else’s property.
Please note that it is also your responsibility to add any necessary plumbing and electrical services.
You also need to make sure you have space for your tiny house.
This means you will likely need to find land for rent.
Spaces are regularly put up for auction on sites like Facebook Marketplace. You can also apply for land in established small housing communities.
One tiny home guru bought a minihouse for $20,000 and its space-saving technology allowed him to have extra room.
Meanwhile, a family of four can live in a neighborhood full of $800,000 homes, thanks to a tiny home that costs just $100,000.
