A county in Pennsylvania is constructing a collection of tiny homes to help people experiencing homelessness in their community, with an eye toward sustainability.
Twenty-five tiny homes will be built on property near the Erie County Resilience Center, which houses a warming center in the winter for people in need to survive winter nights, according to a report from Erie News Now.
Your Erie also reported that 15 homes are single-story structures designed for two people, and the remaining 10 are two-story homes meant for families.
"This isn't long-term housing. I mean really this is that stop-gap, so the goal is to help folks get on their feet, get a job, get where they can pay rent and get them in a sustainable unit on their own," Erie County Executive Brenton Davis told Erie News Now.
Davis also said he hopes to hire local community college students to build the homes and work with companies and churches to sponsor the homes and residents.
Tiny homes are proving more and more to be an effective resource for helping people experiencing homelessness. A Vox report from 2024 highlighted that these kinds of buildings are generally easy to relocate, can be built on borrowed rather than purchased land, and offer many a dignified way to find shelter while dealing with homelessness.
Vox mentioned some concern from advocates that tiny house projects divert funds from more permanent housing options, especially considering the United States housing shortage. Newsweek also noted that some tiny homes are simply shelter and lack utilities, but as Davis said, they're more often than not intended to provide temporary stays.
There's an overall interest in tiny homes growing across the country, thanks to their lower cost and sustainable features.
A 2019 study shared by The New York Post showed that the residents of tiny homes took up less space and reduced their energy consumption by 45%, which also translates into lower utility bills. Those savings are often increased when people opt for greener power options like solar panels to live off-grid.
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Definitely 🙁 More and more cities are investing in tiny homes to help residents thrive, like Thousand Oaks, California, which is launching a tiny home community later this year, including living and office spaces.
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And Marietta, Georgia, one of Atlanta's largest suburbs, is building spaces for students and their families to live in for up to two years, with a playground and gardens featured on the site.
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