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Airbnb for homeless? Group hopeful for 500 backyard cottages in Seattle

By Ashli Blow, KIRO 7 News Digital Producer

Robert "Bobby" Desjarlais in front of his backyard cottages. 

By Ashli Blow, KIRO 7 News Digital Producer

SEATTLE, Wash. — As the city of Seattle struggles with solutions in the homeless crisis, residents are taking matters in their own hands to help people who are living on the streets. For Dan Tenenbaum and Kim Sherman in Beacon Hill, that meant building a small home in their backyard.

"We have had a subtle and profound shift in our lives," said Sherman, who's hosted Robert "Bobby" Desjarlais since last year. "We really love Bobby. He's interesting, full of wisdom, he has a really beautiful approach to dealing with all the challenges life has presented him. "

The concept isn't new. Tiny home villages thrive in the city, but the backyard cottages -- also called detached accessory dwelling units -- have struggled to take off due to zoning restrictions within city limits and dormant proposals for change.

>> PHOTOS: Family hosts homeless man in backyard cottage 

But on Friday, nonprofit group The BLOCK Project unveiled how it plans to construct around 500 cottages over the next five years.

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"We are building small, off-grid self-sufficient homes in residential backyards," said BLOCK Community Director Sara Steilen. "Just like Airbnb did a few years ago, it transforms the way we share our personal space."

>> RELATED: Seattle's first tiny house village for homeless to opens

What's different compared to other initiatives? King County donated warehouse space near the Port of Seattle so that the project can store materials and build the homes, and volunteers are being called upon for help with assembling the homes and donating furniture.

With the effort relying on nonprofits and volunteers, costs for the county are staying low. According to King County Executive Dow Constantine's Office, they spent about $2,000 cleaning up the warehouse and getting the lights on, and they don't expect further expenses.

>> VIDEO: King County executive talks about backyard cottage project

But the county will help in reaching out to property owners across the county -- asking if they are interested in hosting a backyard cottage, each about 125 square feet with a kitchen, bathroom, and solar panels.

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As for the rest of the neighborhood, the BLOCK project touts that it closely works with every resident on the block before placing a cottage in the neighborhood. And for who will get the homes, the project set a vetting process with a criteria that no one with a criminal history or sexual assault conviction will be accepted into the program.

>> RELATED: Would you house a homeless family in your backyard?

The BLOCK project has its eyes on Seattle to place these cottages, with a grand vision to place a small home in every residential block of the city. For now, it's meet the most conservative requirements in Seattle's rules for detached accessory dwelling units.

Surveys indicate that about 75,000 single-family lots in Seattle have space for a cottage, but many residents have expressed they are not interested in hosting a family in their backyard. Additionally, when backyard cottages were a big discussion a couple of years ago, many people were hopeful renters looking for a better housing solution.

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