Tiny homes for Allentown homeless worth a try
The idea of building tiny homes for Allentown’s homeless has merit and I hope city officials will consider it.
It’s not a perfect solution to addressing the problem of homelessness, as critics have pointed out. But there is no perfect solution. The problem has nagged society for centuries.
Tiny home communities are one of the latest concepts. They exist in some places, mostly out West.
Are they working? That’s depends on who you ask. But the lack of universal consensus shouldn’t kill the idea here. Allentown shouldn’t be afraid to try something different.
There are more pros than cons, and that’s why they should be considered. Some of the pros are obvious.
A tiny home — even one that some Morning Call readers have described as nothing more than a glorified shed — at least puts a roof over a head. It doesn’t have a toilet or kitchen, but has heat and air conditioning. And a door that locks.
People would be more comfortable, and safer, than sleeping in the woods in a tent or in an abandoned building or doorway.
Other pros are not as obvious and should not be overlooked.
The tiny homes plan pitched for Allentown — Hope Village of Allentown — would be maintained and operated by nonprofit Operation Address
The Homeless.
Plans call for the village to receive mail, meaning people who live there would have an address to use on applications for benefits and jobs. That’s a huge barrier for the homeless.
The agency would help residents get identification, another barrier.
Residents would be required to open a bank account and save money. They would have to participate in six to 12 hours of programming a week on topics such as cooking; computer and trade skills; fitness; parenting; GED classes; family counseling; mental health; and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Residents would have to work, either on- or off-site. They would have to pay rent of $25 to $50 a month, depending on their income. But the rent would be refunded back to them to be used to help pay for permanent housing. The length of stay for each resident would vary.
All of those services would help get residents in a position of stability where they could live on their own, without such intensive support.
The biggest con to the plan is finding a location.
Where do you put a village of 25 tiny homes and its communal facilities? And how do you convince people living nearby to accept it?
The proposal from Operation Address The Homeless suggests three spots: a section of the Allentown State Hospital property, the city-owned Fountain Park Pool site, and a private lot at 601 S. 10th St.
The pool site previously was used as a warming station for the homeless. It is best suited because it is not near any homes, meaning there wouldn’t be as much opposition from neighbors. And it has utilities ready to go. But it’s in a flood plain, so the city has ruled that out.
The state hospital property is the largest development opportunity in the city. I don’t envision the state, which owns the land, or the city, which will control the redevelopment through its rezoning authority, being willing to dedicate land there.
Another con of a tiny homes community for the homeless is that it segregates them, as pointed out by opponents of the plan in a recent op-ed in The Morning Call.
I also wonder how many people would want to live in a tiny homes community. There’s a reason that some homeless people prefer to live in the woods. They want their independence.
Living somewhere with rules — such as a 9 p.m. curfew unless you’re working, and requirements to work and have a bank account — likely wouldn’t be popular with some. Nor would paying rent, even if that rent is returned to them.
Then there is the cost. It’s big. Operation Address The Homeless is seeking nearly $500,000 in public funding, plus an additional $200,000 if Allentown and Lehigh County can’t donate property. That’s a big sticking point for a city with financial struggles.
But it could be looked at as investment because, if it works, a tiny homes community could mean lowering other costs related to serving the homeless.
Tiny homes were mentioned as an opportunity to explore in the initial report last week from Allentown’s new Homeless Commission. It mentions them as an opportunity for transitional housing.
Just having a discussion about tiny homes for the homeless is good. It is forcing public officials and community members to discuss the problem of homelessness and consider solutions.
So in that sense, the plan already is working.