Tiny Homes on Hope Street
Building three insulated, fully wired tiny homes on a donated lot for veterans coming out of homelessness, framed and finished by volunteer crews over eight weekends.
Last winter our church's overflow shelter hosted eleven veterans. Three of them are still sleeping in cars. Shelters keep people alive; they do not give anyone a front door with their own key. A neighbor has donated a quarter-acre lot on Hope Street. Over eight consecutive Saturdays, volunteer crews led by two licensed contractors from our congregation will frame, insulate, wire, and finish three 240-square-foot homes, each with a kitchenette, a full bathroom, and a porch. A local veterans' service organization will handle placement and provide caseworkers for the first two years. Nobody needs construction experience. If you can swing a hammer or carry a sheet of plywood, there is a job for you.
Foundations, framing lumber, sheathing, and roofing for three homes: $19,500 Insulation, drywall, windows, and doors: $9,800 Plumbing, electrical, and mini-split heat pumps: $10,200 Kitchenettes, bathroom fixtures, and flooring: $5,500
Eight Saturday builds from 8 am to 4 pm, roughly twenty volunteers each. Skilled tradespeople (electrical, plumbing, roofing) are needed on specific weekends; everyone else joins the general crew. Lunch is provided on site.
- For the three veterans who will receive these homes, by name once they are chosen
- For safety on the job site every Saturday
- For dry weather during framing and roofing weekends
- That this becomes the first three of many
Hands still needed
Hours are the organizer's estimates. A shift may run a little longer or shorter than listed.