• LIHI is met with little to no community resistance in developing tiny home villages. To the contrary, neighbors adopt the villages, volunteering in their construction (Community Build Parties, which are oversubscribed) and donating furniture, food, and other resources to the residents of the projects.
• Having licensed staff on-site at all times helps manage village resident relations with the surrounding community.
• Many of the sites have been able to expand (such as LUV village expanded from 22 tiny homes to 44 units) when the site next door become available for this interim use.
• Deep community engagement by LIHI and expertise in the typology and management of village allowed the organization to move quickly in developing tiny home villages in response to the COVID 19 pandemic.
• Many affordable housing operators and developers with permanent housing projects in the pipeline have explored LIHI’s model of interim shelters.
• LIHI will set up a community advisory committee for each village, taking applications at the first community meeting. Committees meet monthly will provide written reports and updates on the project. Meetings will have participation by the city, usually with someone from HSD’s Homeless Strategy and Investment Division.

Relevant Legislation

• State – The recently passed state bill, WAC 458-16-320, incentives private property owners in the state to offer up land for shelter: “property tax exemption available under the provisions of RCW 84.36.043 to real and personal property used by a nonprofit organization, association, or corporation to provide emergency or transitional housing to low income persons or victims of domestic violence who are homeless for personal safety reasons.”
  • Many property owners will elect to host shelters during their pre-development phase, paying for the remediation and permitting costs to allow shelter to safely exist on their premise.
• City – In 2020, Seattle City Council voted to amend the City’s original permitted encampment ordinance (link here) that allows for three city-sanctioned encampments, imposes various time regulations and zoning restrictions, to allow the continuation of the existing tiny house villages that would have otherwise sunset in March, and permit up to 40 tiny house villages, encampments, and safe parking sites to be authorized throughout the city. The language also mitigates zoning restrictions, allows annual renewals, and removes a sunset provision.

Upfront Budget Detail:

• $150k – Shelters – While many tiny homes were donated, the typical cost of units is $5-6k, including $2,700 materials and $2,500-3,000 for labor = $6k x 30 = $150k
• $200k – City paid for utilities (sewer, water, and power), fixed the sidewalk, and installed bathrooms, and office. Paid from city’s general fund.

• The new site includes 24 tiny houses, a community kitchen, hygiene building, laundry, staff and counseling office and security.
• Each individual house is 8 by 12 feet, and has insulation, electricity, heat, windows, a lockable door —  and costs roughly $2,700 per unit to build in materials and about $5-6,000/shelter with labor included.
• Each village as a whole includes plumbed on-site facilities with showers, toilets, laundry, and a community kitchen. The on-site utility hook ups are provided and paid for by the City of Seattle.
• The creation of the new housing units in both villages was made possible by help from many individuals such as the pre-apprenticeship students in the Tulalip Tribes TERO Program, who constructed 13 of the 28 tiny houses at the T.C. Spirit Village. Source.
• Each shelter is placed on skids and pier blocks for easy portability.
• Site plans are completed in-house and reviewed by fire department, etc.
• Josh Castle, the advocacy and community engagement director with LIHI, said a process that would normally take three to four months came together in less than a month. Article.
• LIHI has started building a more permanent version of the tiny home model with a Cottage design – called Sand Point Cottage Community – see rendering.

• Local preference policy at shelters
• Referrals to the village will be coordinated by the city’s Navigation Team, in collaboration with the Chief Seattle Club and Seattle Indian Health Center.
• The Church is allocated 2-3 set-aside tiny homes for their choice of qualified resident.
• Residents are subject to a sex offender check.
• Some residents prefer tiny home villages to having a permanent apartment. Many residents have lived on-site for 5-6 months, others only a few nights.
• One hot meal is served per day, provided by Operation Sack Lunch.

Management Plan:

• Village Organizers: 24/7 staff presence will be maintained in the Village. Village Organizers will be present during evenings, overnight and on weekends when the Special Project Manager and Case Manager are not working.  This includes 7 staff working full and part-time. They will be responsible for ensuring the peace, controlling the entrance to keep the residents safe and prevent outside visitors, keeping the village organized, respond to emergencies, serve as point for community contact during their shifts, and other duties. They will do perimeter checks and patrol the area on an established schedule.
• Special Projects Manager: One FTE Special Projects Manager will be assigned to the site. The Special Projects Manager shares information, provide technical assistance, assures the community is following procedures and policies, and works with residents and staff to maintain the site in a clean and organized state. The Special Projects Manager will also conduct inventory, order supplies, inspect the site, establish relationships with the community, and assist in hiring, training, and supervising staff of the Village. The Special Projects Manager will be trained and supervised by LIHI Management.
• Case Manager: The full-time Case Manager is responsible for establishing relationships with community referral agencies and their case managers, provide informal counseling, provide information and referral assistance to residents, and coordinate community-building activities. The Case Manager will be working and problem-solving with the residents of the Village on a daily basis. The focus will be moving the clients into permanent housing and providing supportive services. See True Hope Tiny House Village Supportive Services Plan.