If you’re a self-confessed daydreamer, you’ve probably lost hours of your life dreaming of selling your home and moving to the middle of nowhere to live in a tiny home.
Tiny home communities are cropping up all over the US, proving that tiny home living is more than just a temporary obsession – it’s a way of life.
There are so many benefits of living in a tiny home.
Tiny houses are usually affordable enough to pay for upfront, so you can live mortgage-free after your initial investment. Tiny homes also promote sustainability, as they’re usually made from sustainable materials, are self-sustaining, and allow you to reduce your energy use.
Because of their affordability, tiny homes could provide the answer to one of the biggest problems in the US: homelessness.
A 2017 study found that on average, 553,742 people in the United States experience homelessness on a given night.
Albuquerque, New Mexico, is no stranger to homelessness – and one woman decided to do something about it.
Debbie O’Malley, Bernalillo County Commissioner, has been working since 2016 to turn her vision into reality.
Now, finally, the tiny home community for the homeless is open and accepting residents.
The community, which was built on an unused lot, features a village of tiny homes, each of which has its own bed and comfort facilities.
Tiny homeowners share a living space, including a fully-stocked kitchen and a bathroom.
The tiny homes are intended to serve as transitional housing for homeless men and women who are looking to get their lives back on track.
Debbie said that her community’s hard work was vital for the project’s success.
To start with, voters first had to approve a $2 million bond back in 2016. The community had a choice: choose to help the homeless or deny the money spent on the cause. Ultimately, they chose to help the homeless.
As of February this year, the project was officially complete – but why did it take nearly 5 years to get there?
According to Debbie, there were a number of unavoidable challenges, including trying to find a location.
Eventually, the Albuquerque Indian Center agreed to lease their land to the council, and the work could begin.
Now that everything’s complete, though, Debbie and her team have a chance to sit back and admire their half-decade of hard work.
Debbie is certain that the village will show people how positive projects like this can be.
She said:
“I hope that people see the story and they see what’s happening and they’re like, ‘You know what, we could support something like this in our community.'”
The tiny home village is designed to comfortably house 40 people, and it costs just $30 a month to “rent” a property out.
Debbie expects that the village will be full by the end of June – but, of course, the idea is not for people to stick around.
Hopefully, by giving the homeless a place to sleep and shower, they’ll have a higher likelihood of finding work.
Projects like Debbie’s tiny home community are an example of just what a great world we could live in if we chose to be caring instead of selfish in our quest to help others.
You can learn more about the project, plus hear an interview with Debbie, in the video below.
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