By Megan Tran

Staff Writer

More than half a million people in America are homeless. In order to help them get back on their feet many communities are building tiny house villages for the homeless. Currently, across the United States 10 miniature house villages for the homeless have already been built and comprise of more than 362 dwellings, the cost of each house ranges from village to village, according to Jenny Xie, Curbed journalist.

Most recently, Detroit is battling the issue of homelessness by adding six more buildings a year after completing its first in Sep. 2016. The local organization Community Social Services (CASS) goal is to build 25 homes in total.

Dignity Village was the first tiny house village ever built in 2000 located in Portland. To this day the neighborhood continues to house up to 60 people a night. Dignity Village is made up of 43 small residences built out of recycled or reclaimed materials, each with a bed and a propane heater.

Sharon Lee, executive director of Seattle’s Low Income Housing institute, tells Paul Lewis, journalist for The Guardian, that she discovered, “a bit of a loophole.” Structures smaller than 120-square feet are not recognized as a permanent building. This would allow these homes to be exempt from regulations governing residential buildings.

This would grant a self-governing community and for people to have permanent affordable housing.

People who want to live in such centers must submit an application that shows their goals and how they will help the society when they live there.

Pastor Jeff Carr of Infinity Fellowship, led the construction of Infinity Village in Nashville, says that theses houses “provides a stepping stone to homefulness,” to Alana Semuels, journalist from the Atlantic.   

These tiny house villages are one way to address the issue of homelessness by giving people a place to live. In addition, these residential areas are seen as a quick and efficient solution to homelessness with minimal public debate.

Nonprofits and association groups such as, CASS, A Tiny Home for Good, Low Income Housing Institute, and My Tiny House Project LA raise the money to build these households. Furthermore, instead of forcing the homeless to find a home many governments and private donors believe that the homeless should be given a home..

With the many housing communities throughout the country there are even more in the works in locations such as Reno, NV and San Jose, CA.