Seattle tiny house provider touts program as ‘rapid response to immediate need’

In a presentation to a Seattle city council committee, the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) is touting its Tiny House Village program as a success that provides emergency shelter to those who need it most.

Since 2015, when the Tiny House Village program was launched, a total of 2,516 people have sheltered in Tiny House Villages.

According to the LIHI report, since 2021, a total of 466 tiny houses are spread out among 11 different villages in the Seattle area.

In 2021, 745 people sheltered in Tiny House Villages. According to LIHI, there were only 14 COVID-19 cases among the 745 people served that year.

Meanwhile, according to King County Public Health, there were 748 COVID-19 cases and eight deaths at emergency shelter facilities. “Tiny houses are non-congregate which is the safest shelter model during a pandemic,” the LIHI report says.

According to LIHI, Tiny House Villages are often pathways to permanent housing. In its report, it says that 56% of people found stable homes after moving out of their tiny house.

“Tiny houses are a direct bridge to a home,” the report says. “50% of people who moved out of a tiny house found permanent housing and 6% moved into transitional housing; a pathway to permanent housing that typically includes services and Section 8 support.”

51% of people served by the Tiny House Village program were people of color. LIHI says that tiny houses are a “crucial resource” for people of color given the racial disparities that exist within the homeless population.

65% of those who stay in tiny houses move out to permanent housing within six months. The median stay in the program is 114 days.

According to the King County Regional Housing Authority dashboard for adult shelters, from October 2020 through September 2021, only 16% of adults become permanently housed after going through the shelter system. 9% return to homelessness within six months, compared to just 3.85% in the Tiny House Village program.

LIHI cited tiny houses’ cost-effectiveness and ease to set up as reasons for its success as well.

“Tiny House Villages are relatively quick to set up, between 8-10 weeks once a site is identified,” the report says. “Permanent housing can take 3-4 years to develop. We are in a homelessness crisis now. Tiny houses are humane, short term, and a rapid response to immediate need.”

©2022 Cox Media Group