How many open lots are in your neighborhood? Probably more than you realize. Many lots remain abandoned due to a lack of rental interest or are awaiting new development contracts. This leaves dozens of vacant lots available in every city that could be used for something more important — such as a tiny-home village for unhoused folks.
In 2021, Hope the Mission transformed an abandoned parking lot into a tiny-home village, according to Good Good Good. It became the blueprint for the next six villages that opened in the Los Angeles area.
The first, called Chandler Tiny Home Village, offers 40 one- or two-person units and 75 beds. Each unit is 64 square feet and features heating, air conditioning, windows, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a desk, and a front door that locks.
According to Good Good Good, Kadre Architects, which was in charge of the "oddly-shaped" build, said, "In projects like these, design matters, both to uplift residents and to respectfully complete and enhance the neighborhood serving to inspire pride for these projects in a local community."
It went on to say that the design was one of "spatial character, colorful details, and logistical efficiency," creating a "model community space with a level of design sensitivity and beauty not often seen in these types of projects."
To qualify for this community, residents must be unhoused and live within a three-mile radius of the village. The residents do not pay rent but are expected to work toward a goal of permanent housing during their three-month stay. They have access to meals, mental health support, job assistance, case management, and other benefits.
"I believe in a housing-first model, where we would move everybody into a home and apartment, permanent housing," Hope the Mission CEO Ken Craft shared with the LAist when the village opened in 2021. "If we're going to sit and wait until affordable housing is built, the homeless problem is going to keep growing. We have to be able to get people off the streets and get them into interim housing, while we're addressing the issue of affordable and permanent housing."
As of early 2025, Hope the Mission has created 11 villages with 6,700 units.
Tiny homes are not only an efficient and kind way to transition the unhoused community back to permanent housing; they are also options for others. The smaller the space, the less energy is consumed and the lower your bills for energy, water, and taxes will be.
Tiny homes require less effort and less money to build and often can be built with more sustainable materials. If we stop building lavish apartment buildings and living in spaces too large for our needs, we can all contribute to a massive reduction in energy use in our neighborhoods.
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