Tiny Home Village With Transitional Housing Provides Homeless Opportunity To Get Lives Back On Track

Apr 15, 2021

The Tiny House Movement started small but in the last few years has gained enough traction to make it an enduring trend. Blogs are popping up all over the internet that detail how to best make use of smaller spaces and show the magic of small homes, and emphasize that small spaces needn't be cramped and cluttered. People are drawn to this movement for various reasons— some people want a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle, some want to build communities rather than large houses, and some people only have finances enough to create a small home. 

Whatever the reason may be, it is clear that the tiny home movement is no longer small anymore. More and more countries are realizing that compact homes with all amenities are advantageous for many reasons, one of which sheds light on the fact that these homes can be transitional housing for those who have lacked shelter previously. 

Homeless people can vouch that the stigma surrounding homelessness tends to hold them back when it comes to making significant changes in their lives. The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico took on a project to help its homeless citizens in the best way possible and in 2016, started creating a village of tiny homes to help the homeless get back on their feet. 

The complex was finally completed at the end of 2020, and as of February 2021, welcomed its very first residents. It is wonderful to see such initiatives taken by the government as well as the city's inhabitants to help the homeless population. 

This tiny home village is the first transitional housing project in New Mexico, and is funded by Bernalillo County and managed by the Albuquerque Indian Center according to its official website. The project was created with the values of community development, self-governance, and long-term sustainability in mind, and offers its residents all the amenities that any regular home would have. 

The village has 30 stand-alone 120 sq. ft. furnished, heated, and cooled living units, of which five units are wheelchair accessible. The homes contain high-quality grade kitchens, dining and recreational areas for its residents, individual lockers, washing machines, private individual lockers, and even an office for private meetings such as job interviews. It also contains eight single-occupancy lockable bathrooms that are well-lit and open-air living areas. The community also has enough security as it is fenced and gated. 

The website also outlines the requirements needed to qualify for the project as well as restrictions and residency limitations. The first five residents, or "core" members of the housing village, had been moved in at the end of February 2021, and full occupancy is expected by the end of July. 

DailyLobo.com reports that the idea for the village first came about in 2016 after activists experienced the unsustainability of tent housing that was frequently broken up by city officials. The project, once planned, was approved by Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley, who was able to procure $2 million for the project. On the official website, O'Malley writes, "A key in your pocket and a solid roof over your head offers the peace of mind and stability needed to move forward in life."

O'Malley also hoped that this village would serve as a positive example for future projects. Speaking to KRQE, she said, "I hope that people see this story and they see what’s happening, and they say we can support something like this in our community." The project couldn't have been completed, of course, without the determined activists who first pushed for the idea and the managers who oversaw the entire process from scratch. 

Resource manager Ilse Biel told DailyLobo.com that the main intention behind the project was to foster a sense of community for the homeless, who otherwise might have felt isolated if proceeding with traditional housing options. "When moving directly into an apartment, people can be lonely because it might just be one apartment in a large block … They also lose the community that they had on the street, so the whole process is really isolating,” Biel said. “What we’re trying to do is to create that community, so that as people move closer to being able to access traditional affordable housing, they are not alone."

Project manager Bernadette Miera added that "Transitional housing can enable folks to make sound decisions when they do choose to pursue permanent housing. We know there is not enough housing on every spectrum here in Albuquerque, and transitional housing fills the gap."

The tiny house movement might have started as a movement to find affordable housing as well as live in a more eco-friendly manner, but it has expanded today to become a life-changing campaign for the homeless. 

Tell us your thoughts about this wonderful initiative by the city of Albuquerque, and be sure to let your friends know about this heartwarming story as well.