Here’s my second of three housing – related posts:
Maybe on some of the street corners in your town, you have seen panhandlers. Each of these individuals have their story and some may be homeless. Homelessness has risen in the USA since 2017 and made worse during the pandemic. There are not enough shelters to meet the need. Plus, shelters have some shortcomings: lack of safe and private space possibly being the biggest concern.
I have always liked the sign below. There are agencies that will help people in need. The collaborative effort on the part of many agencies is what will work.
In California, a project, “The Homing Project”, has been successful and as a result other communities across the USA are looking into it too. Recently, I met volunteers with “The Homing Project” and saw a mini home. The Tucson, Arizona non-profit organization has some land to start the project here; however, they are also looking for additional 1 – 1.5 acres of land, or more, to set up future communities. Each 64 square foot home will be for tenants younger than 25 and older than 50. A mini home has one or two beds, storage for belongings, locking doors and climate control. The prefabricated mini homes can be assembled in a day and dismantled as needs change. Along with the mini homes, there will be a communal kitchen, laundry room, private showers, community area and medical, dental and other support services. The mini homes would be enclosed in a gated area with security, but even so some neighborhoods are worried about the mini homes being in certain locations.
To learn more about this non-profit organization, which advocates “it takes a village to build a village”, click on the link below:
