Los Angeles is tackling homelessness with a tiny home village

Los Angeles recently debuted its first tiny home community as a transitional housing spot for those without homes to stay in while they receive support services and await permanent housing.

The Chandler Boulevard Bridge Home Village sits on a once-empty triangular plot of land between two roads. It’s now packed with 39 housing units, communal areas, shower and bathroom facilities, a pet play area, laundry services, Wi-Fi services and storage options. The tiny home village is surrounded by a fence but stands out from above with its bright shades of blue, red, white, yellow, orange and green.

The “houses” themselves were supplied by Pallet Shelter, which helps create tiny home projects around the country. Each 64-square-foot aluminum unit has two beds, shelves, heating, air conditioning, windows and a locking door. The entire project came together quickly, in about 13 weeks, since each shelter is prefabricated and easy to assemble.

Here’s an image of the tiny home settlement from above, as posted to Facebook by Lehrer Architects, the architectural firm that designed it.

And here’s a video tour of the village from Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission, which runs the facility and offers support services for its residents.

In its Facebook post about the new community, Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission said, “Now the real work begins as we help each guest address the underlying issues that led to their homelessness.”

Residents will have access to job training, mental health resources, housing navigation and placement services to help them transition out of homelessness into a more stable situation.

The site is under 24-hour surveillance. Residents must be 18 years old, are checked for contraband when entering the village (no alcohol or drugs are allowed inside) and have a curfew. Due to the pandemic, each unit can only house one person, a couple or parents with a child.

A second and larger “Tiny Home Community” is set to debut in April at Alexandria Park in North Hollywood, as this Facebook post with architectural drawings by Lehrer Architects illustrates.

Similar tiny home villages that provide temporary housing for the homeless have been built across the U.S. including in other parts of California, Minnesota, Hawaii and Washington state.

Does your area have any tiny home shelters nearby?