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A TINY home village for the homeless lies empty after officials have blocked final approval despite helping in its development.
Hand in Hand of Glynn in Glynn County, Georgia, built 60 tiny homes in a bid to help the homeless in the region.
The one-bedroom tiny homes are built on a 4.25-acre piece of land that was formerly home to the Altama Presbyterian Church.
In May last year, the project applied for help from the Brunswick Housing Authority and was granted 60 project-based vouchers.
This means that the organization will have more ease and flexibility when it comes to funds.
The vouchers were awarded after a number of meetings between the organization and the BHA where business plans, budgets, architectural drawings, and projects were examined and discussed at length.
Despite all members of the BHA awarding the project vouchers, internal changes at the authority mean that Hand In Hand is unable to move homeless people in.
Speaking to The Brunswick News, Linda Heagy the authority’s treasurer said: “The staff we worked with a year ago are all gone from their jobs.”
According to the outlet, trouble at the housing authority began in February and there have since been three new chairs, and the executive director was replaced once and then fired.
Following this the interim director quit.
Heagy added: “We hear that a new permanent executive director is to be in place soon.
“Because of all this disruption, there is a lack of experience with the requirements for project-based vouchers, and the board at the housing authority has now found it necessary to hire a consultant from Northwest Georgia, (as of Sept. 20) to assist the BHA staff in securing the vouchers.”
Despite Hand In Hand having around a dozen meetings with the authority about the vouchers, Heagy said: “Apparently no one at the housing authority has any idea of how to issue these vouchers and get them funded by HUD.
“We, of course, thought all of this paperwork had been completed a year ago before the board awarded us the vouchers,” she said.
It is hoped by the tiny home organization that the consultant will be able to get things back on track though it could take 60 days or more.
However, Heagy is excited to see the tiny gated community open and to see homeless people move into their tiny homes.
“The great news is that we have 20 houses that are ready for occupancy and 20 more to be approved next week,” she said.
“We hope the city and the housing authority feel the same sense of urgency that we feel in getting 60 people experiencing homelessness housed before the winter months.”
Tiny home villages have proved useful for those living on the streets as a transitional home that gives them a springboard on which to start their new lives.
Each home will feature a bedroom, a bathroom with a shower, a full kitchen, a porch, and a sitting area.
Security means that they do not have to worry about losing their belongings or being hurt and having a roof over their head will take off some of the worries they have.
In the meantime, the project is asking for items that will be needed by the tenants once they move in such as kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies, small appliances, linens, and towels.
“Our residents will have permanent homes, a supportive community, and the help they need to avoid a return to life on the streets,” the Hand in Hand of Glynn website states.
It adds that the tiny home will also offer onsite medical and dental services for residents including help for psychological issues.
The community will also focus on a communal garden in which nutrition and cooking classes will be offered.
There will also be a number of other classes helping residents learn life skills, recovery from substance abuse, and employment readiness and give them more of an education.
