2. Mission
Bridge the gap between homelessness and re-
integration into the community for Huntsville’s Homeless
through the establishment of a tiny home village.
3. Community Partnerships
Foundations for Tomorrow will coordinate all partnerships, find land,
fundraise, and construct the village
Helping Huntsville’s Homeless Veterans and Citizens will assist with
homeless advocacy, preserving community, and the construction of
the homes
Mindgear Labs will help prototype and assemble the first tiny home
in addition to assisting with community partnerships
Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at UAH will assist with fundraising and
construction of tiny homes
Alabama Center for Sustainable Energy will assist with powering the
community through solar
Other Collaborators
North Alabama Center for Homelessness (NACH)
Cornerstone Initiative
Huntsville Housing Authority
First Stop
Chargers for Sustainability
4. Other Resources
At least 6 other cities
have found tiny home
communities to be a
solution for their
homeless
Working with Opportunity
Village founder from
Eugene, OR to learn best
practices.
Working with board
member from Quixote
Village, WA to assist with
community sustainment
Part of The Village
Collaborative nationwide
group for cities trying to
implement tiny home
solutions for the
homeless
5. A tiny home is defined as a small home
that seldom exceeds 500 square feet. The
typical tiny house is usually less than 8 ft
by 20 ft, with livable space of 80-200
square feet and are commonly placed on
wheels for transportability
Dedication to simplicity
Reduces physical footprint on the environment
Usually include a living space, kitchenette, a loft
for sleeping, and a front porch
Aesthetically charming
Standard of housing has become
inaccessible. The average American
requires 3 times the space compared to
1950
980 square ft per person which is the same
amount that used to house a whole family
A tiny home is an ideal vehicle for
improving physical infrastructure of
homeless camps without disrupting the
existing social balance of privacy and
community
Why Tiny Homes
6. Benefits of Tiny Home Village
Tiny homes cost much less than other
temporary housing
Today construction of low-income housing
comes at a cost of upwards of $200,000 per
unit.
Tiny home price $5,000 - $10,000
Reduces costs to tax payers for public
services used by the homeless.
Leaving someone homeless costs $31,065
annually, per person, meanwhile providing that
person with permanent housing, job training,
and health care costs 68% less at $10,051.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) has even endorsed the
model as a viable solution stating “It’s
certainly something that we would encourage
other communities to take a look at when it
comes to creating solution for housing the
homeless….It’s a very important step in terms
of the kinds of services we should be
providing to people that need assistance”
1 Andrew Heben, Tent City Urbanism (2014)
2 Central Florida Commission on Homelessness “the Cost of Long-Term Homelessness in
Central Florida (2014)”
3 Erika Lundahl, “Tiny Houses for the Homeless: An Affordable Solution Catches On,” Yes!,
February 20, 2014
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
Temporary Housing Costs
Per Day
A study comparing 9 major U.S. cities found that incarceration
and hospitalization are for more expensive routes than
providing shelters or even supportive housing.
1
2
3
7. Provides a model of compassion towards the homeless
First city in the Southeast to implement this solution
Present Huntsville as a leader in innovative solutions to homelessness at the 2014 Alabama
Statewide Housing & Homelessness Conference
Most communities find themselves policing, rather than servicing as a
method for managing the issue of homelessness.
Being independent while being unhoused often results in citations and arrests, making it
even more difficult to ever get a job or housing. Instead the unhoused are forced into top-
down social service programs that tend to initiate this culture of dependence – sending the
message that you no longer need to know how to take care of yourself, but at the same time
we don’t have the capacity to help you forever. The unhoused are put on a one-way track
where they are told: get in line so that you can pay subsidized rent, instead having support
while they learn how to support themselves.
Simply allowing for a legal place to reside – even with the most meager
provisions of shelter, reduces negative, external impacts on the city.
Provides a safe, non-violent environment with some degree of privacy
Establishes an address
Self-governance through regular community meetings where the group adopts basic agreements
that, at a minimum, prohibit acts of violence, theft, and illegal drugs. Those who break the camp’s
rules are often told to leave, either temporarily or permanently. An offender typically has a chance
to state his or her case with a majority vote by the other members determining the outcome.
Positive City Impact
8. At least 1 acre of Land
30 tiny homes
Community building
Access to public transportation
Within ¼ mile
Access to services
e.g. Rose of Sharon, First Stop, Downtown
Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, Cornerstone
Borders that are controlled
Fencing or trees
Site Criteria
9. Run by non-profit and a board of directors
Membership by application
Review tenants progress monthly
Create village rules
No violence
No drugs
No theft
Required service hours
10-20 hours per week depending on employment
Provide services
Access to education
Access to counseling
Distribution of food, personal items, and construction materials
Volunteer nurse and doctors for medical Care
Volunteer vet for pet care
Village Management
10. At least 1 acre of land that meets the site criteria
Assistance and support on variances for zoning and
ordinances prohibiting tiny homes
What I Need From You
