Tiny House Villages and Encampments
www.LIHI.org
Presented by Sharon Lee Executive Director
Low Income Housing Institute
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LIHI ADDRESSES HOMELESSNESS IN MANY WAYS
Basic and Immediate Needs
• Housing: Permanent, transitional & permanent
supportive
• Hygiene: Urban Rest Stops
• Shelter: Tiny house villages & encampments
Root causes & long-term solutions
• Supportive services
• Advocacy at local and national levels
SEATTLE’S HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
Low Income Housing Institute • 50 properties in 6 counties in the Pacific Northwest
• Homeless • Low-income • Disabled • Senior
Cheryl Chow Court 50 apartments for seniors
August Wilson Place 57 workforce apartments
• Young adult • Veteran • Refugee
Ernestine Anderson Place 60 apartments for homeless
and low-income seniors
The Marion West 49 units of studio housing for homeless
young adults and low-wage workers
SHARE (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort)
LARGEST SHELTER & ENCAMPMENT NETWORK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Nickelsville
Encampments Provide Many Advantages
• Community
• Safety
• Sanitation
• Self-empowerment
• Family security
• Point of engagement – Case management, bus ticket
distribution, HMIS reporting
SHARE and Nickelsville as Managing Partners
• Democratic and Representative
• Strict Code of Conduct
– Sobriety, No Violence, Mandatory Meetings
• Leadership Positions
• Community Credits
Head of Security
Internal Affairs
External Affairs
Bookkeeper Structure
Master
Litter Pick-Up
Kitchen Duty
Participation
Credits Security
Shifts
Seattle Mayor’s Emergency Task Force on Unsheltered Homelessness
Oct 2014
• Tent encampment legislation
• Tiny Houses
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray City Council Member Kshama Sawant
Legislation Sanctioning Tiny House Encampments
• Federal: RLUIPA - Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act The land use-related provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000
(RLUIPA) prohibit state and local governments from regulating land use in a manner that: discriminates against or among religious institutions, 42 U.S.C. ' 2000cc(b); or imposes a substantial burden on religious exercise, unless the regulation is the least restrictive means of serving a compelling government interest.
• Washington State:
ESHB 1956 - Authorizing religious organizations to host temporary encampments for homeless persons on property owned or controlled by a religious organization.
• City of Seattle: o Existing ordinance allowing churches to host encampments
o New ordinance passed on March 30, 2015 allowing 3 encampments of up to 100 residents each on public or private land (without church host).
o City Council Member Kshama Sawant sponsored budget action to fund existing and new tent encampments in the 2015-16 budget.
o Mayor Murray declares state of emergency due to homelessness on Nov 2 and City Council allocates $7.3 million in 2016 budget to address problem.
How We Engage the Community
• Letters to neighbors
• Public information meetings – 2 weeks prior to permitting
– 2 weeks prior to renewal
• Community Advisory Committees – 7 community stakeholders
– Monthly check-ins
Tiny House Sizing
• Int’l Building Code
– 120 SF
– Typically 8’ x 12’
– Not a dwelling unit
• Portability
– Flatbed truck footprint
– Maximum clearance
• 1-4 people max
City of Seattle Funding for LIHI Encampments
Othello Village (funding for 10 months): Initial Expenses: $58,350 - (includes $10859 for building tiny houses) Site Coordinator: $38,450 Operating Budget: $81,200 Ballard Site (funding for 14 months) Initial Expenses: $20,564 Operating Budget: $53,133 Interbay Site (funding for 14 months) Initial Expenses: $7,457 Operating Budget: $82,444 Case Management for all 3 Sites Case Managers: $138,576
Case Management Expenses: $79,424 Total: $559,598
Why Do People Need Tiny Houses?
Severe lack of shelters 4,505 Unsheltered (January, 2016) - an increase of 19% from 2015
Severe lack of affordable housing Average rent for a two person apartment is $2,796
Survival: WITHOUT SHELTER PEOPLE DIE! 91 homeless deaths in 2015
Filling in the Gaps of Shelters
LIHI tiny houses serve populations that have trouble accessing traditional shelters:
•Whole families •Large families •LGBTQ Individuals •Gay couples •Gay couples with children •Families with teenage sons •Immigrant/refugee households •Undocumented households •Single men with children •People with pets •People with warrants
Our First Generation Tiny Houses - 2013
Simple Small Sturdy Sleeping Structures
Our Tiny Houses Today
Tiny House Assembly Instructional Packet Materials Cost - $2,200
The Various Groups Building Houses
• Pre-apprenticeship programs
• High school education programs
• Church groups
• Construction companies
• Home repair and construction nonprofits
YouthBuild, a Program of YouthCare
Sawhorse Revolution
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church
Tulalip Tribes TERO
United Brotherhood of Carpenters Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW)
Renton Technical College
Wood Technology Center
Walsh Construction Company
Weber Thompson
Rebuilding Together Seattle (with Lowe’s, Turner Construction, and Abbott Construction)
Ballard Encampment Opens November, 2015 - 5 Tiny Houses
“Barn raising” day
Ballard Encampment
Nickelsville Tiny House Village January, 2016 - 14 Tiny Houses
Electrical Cable Trench
Loft & Dining Room
Good Shepherd Tiny House Village
Hundreds of volunteers!!
Toilet and Shower Houses (Plumbed)
Tiny House Village
Model Agreement w/Church Sponsors
• Grant of License • Use & Use Restrictions • Term • Maximum Users • Move-In Notice/ Waiver of
Relocation Benefits/Agreement not to Sue
• Sex Offender Checks • Landscape Buffers & Right of Way • Parking • Signs • Services for Occupants • Community Outreach • Inspections
• Rules & Regulations/ Code of Conduct
• Security • Condition of Property • Insurance Requirements • Utilities • Termination of License • Meals • Indemnification & Hold Harmless • Notices • Nondiscrimination • No Religious Participation
Requirement
King County Councilmember Larry Gossett visiting the site w/Sharon Lee
Othello Village March 2016, 30 Tiny Houses & 13 Tents
Shower Trailer
…
Othello Village
NeighborWorks Community Celebration at Othello Village
Supportive Services
• Housing resources
• Basic food
• Help with benefits, daycare, school, job search
• Partnerships with Service Providers
• Transportation: local and long distance – Reunification with families and relatives
LIHI Supportive Services Manager Charese Jones (right) and family of 3 who were moved into LIHI housing in Rainier Valley.
Resident Success is our Primary Goal
Dedicated, knowledgeable staff to help encampment residents find housing, employment and services. Placement for all 3 encampments as of October 2016: Moved into permanent or transitional housing: 107 Moved into Shelter: 34 Reunited w/family: 15 Employed PT & FT: 68