CALIFORNIA, USA — “The longer we leave people on the streets,” said Rowan Vansleve. “The more mental health issues, the more addiction issues, and the more issues of people dealing with trauma.”
Rowan Vansleve is president of the nonprofit “Hope of the Valley,” and they’ve opened several tiny home communities this year including the first ever in Los Angeles County in February.
“We need to get people inside today to stop the trauma but also to make it cheaper to get them into permanent, supportive housing,” said Vansleve.
Each unit costs about $6,500 to purchase from the factory and by the time they pop them up, it costs about $10,000 altogether.
“You’re not going to find a cheaper shelter bed anywhere in America. On top of that, they can be set up very quickly,” said Vansleve.
They work with a company called Pallet Shelter based near Seattle, Washington. They develop, design and build these tiny homes.
“It’s kind of like Ikea decided to make pop up houses,” said Vansleve. “They come packed and they pop up in about 90 minutes. It’s an innovative, creative solution.”
These communities have communal bathrooms and showers that allow for privacy and are cleaned after every use.
“It’s a roof over your head and it has AC,” said resident Justin Spear. He has been living in the Reseda location for the past week and he feels fortunate.
“It’s a cool little place to get away from everybody, to have your own privacy,” said Justin. “It’s awesome. There’s nothing like that out on the street.”
A year ago, the San Diego City Council passed a law that made it legal for homeowners to place a tiny home on their property to be rented out long-term, but so far, there haven’t been any steps taken to build tiny home communities on city land. Rowan thinks San Diego is prime ground for this type of solution.
“I think the tiny home movement is an absolute no-brainer for a city like San Diego,” said Vansleve. “By no means is it the silver bullet to end homelessness, but it is a vital weapon in the fight against homelessness.”
While Rowan understands the harsh realities of the homelessness crisis, he remains optimistic.
“It gives me hope that just maybe if we hold hands together and attack this homeless crisis together,” said Vansleve. “We can bring an end to homelessness in our major cities.”
WATCH RELATED: How California lawmakers plan to combat the state housing crisis (June 2021)