Don’t Count Me Out began its Tiny House Build program to help combat homelessness. They brought in construction crews to build a tiny home for one former client, who is in need of housing. The crew will construct the house this weekend, where the house will be built in Blackburn Park in Brookhaven, GA. This is the first-ever tiny house built. Tiny homes are a trend right now, offering housing at an affordable rate. The tiny house might not have room for a complete dining room set for the resident, but it will be awesome – and keep them out of the cold.
The Tiny House Build is one of the many projects that Don’t Count Me Out provides. Their mission is to help those diamonds in the rough to have a voice and be seen. They assist fathers in Atlanta from jail with bailouts and provide social support services, to reconnect with their families. The organization also assists third world countries and those exiting high control groups to live a better quality of life.
Tiny house villages are becoming a common solution in cities to solve homelessness. Cities like Kansas City and Seattle have tiny house villages to house homeless veterans. There has been some pushback from residents and some officials that do not see these homes as a long-term solution to homelessness. The goal of tiny homes for the homeless is to provide a bed and roof temporarily, until they can find a job, housing, and other support services, to sustain their permanent housing. Tiny houses have low costs and can be built within days, like the Tiny House Build home will be built within a weekend.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, in a 2018 survey over half of Americans would consider living in a home, less than 600 square feet. However, when building a tiny home, you must abide by local housing laws and must find a legal place to build and store the home. Whether the home is on wheels or not is also another consideration and must meet legalities. What’s really attractive about tiny homes is the low cost of building and maintenance. The cost to build a tiny home could be as low as $30,000, which is cheaper than most people pay in rent or mortgage for two years.
This home is only a small solution to homelessness in the United States. There are other issues with how to fix the long-term issues of homelessness and lack of affordable housing. This issue involves all levels of government and also community approval, where many people don’t want homeless people living near them. Until we solve the housing issue, tiny homes are one way to temporarily keep the homeless safe.
