Tiny House Villages and Encampments

www.LIHI.org

Presented by Sharon Lee Executive Director

Low Income Housing Institute

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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