Building Tiny Homes That Alleviate Homelessness

"built on wheels, these tiny houses are easily moved and adaptable" by Nicolás Boullosa licensed under CC BY 2.0
built on wheels, these tiny houses are easily moved and adaptable” by Nicolás Boullosa licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: NPR

The Chicago Tiny Home Summit is part of the larger Tiny Home Movement, that seeks to alleviate the issue of homelessness in the city by building tiny houses, usually no more than 300 square feet.

For many people who are homeless, finding secure and safe shelter can take years because they are on a wait-list or because they do not have sufficient resources to begin building independent living accommodations. Tiny House advocates seek to build the tiny homes that are equipped with a bed, a kitchen, a bathroom and other essentials, within a short time frame to offer an immediate solution to the chronic issue of homelessness across the nation.

Chicago tiny home advocates are preparing to build tiny homes specifically for homeless youth, a highly marginalized group; similar housing options that are offered around the country focus on helping veterans and chronically homeless.

One of the biggest foreseeable obstacles in future projects is push back from city officials who will implement “ancient” building codes and zone ordinances, potentially stalling or preventing the building of these tiny homes that could accommodate hundreds of youth who sleep on the streets or in overcrowded shelters every night.

Read full story at: NPR

Justice & Poverty, News
Justice & Poverty, News