Tiny House Hand Up Inc. cuts ceremonial ribbon on store
Nonprofit looking to fill gap in housing market
Gordon County Chamber of Commerce officials and others joined the team at Tiny House Hand Up Inc. on Friday to cut the ceremonial ribbon on their resale store and learn more about the organization.
Cindy Tucker, executive director of THHU, said the store at 150 Warrior Path N.E., Suite 3, has a wide variety of donated items for sale to benefit the nonprofit group, from books and decor to furniture and electronic equipment. Also for sale outside the store is a 1983 Chevrolet Camaro, currently parked at Grandstanz with a current high bid of $2,500, and a tiny house built on wheels in front of the store as a demonstration.
All money made at the store goes toward the Tiny House Hand Up goal of building a tiny home community in Gordon County called The Cottages at Kings Crossing. Tucker said they have plans to build about 40 homes ranging from 427 to 597 square feet on donated land at the corner of Harris Beamer Road and Beamer Road.
The community will function much like a condo community, with the organization owning the property but the homeowners buying the houses through traditional financing from their own banks. Tucker emphasized that THHU aims to build a beautiful, well kept community for people who can’t afford traditional houses, such as single moms, young adults or senior citizens.
“It’s generally believed the first step to personal wealth is owning a home, and we believe we’re making home ownership a possibility for a lot of people, Tucker said.
The tiny homes will cost about $100 per square foot, so each house in the community will cost about $50,000. Tucker said that price point should help fill a gap for working residents who don’t make a lot of money but still want to own a home.
Monika Ponton-Arrington, who works alongside Tucker, said each home will be a freestanding structure have a bit of green space so residents can plant a garden or have space to spend
outdoors. She said there have been a lot of misconceptions about about the Tiny House Hand Up group is trying to do, but once people visit the store and see the plans and home layouts, they generally support the project.
“Once they see the visual they seem to understand what we’re doing and that it’s going to be a nice, clean community,” she said.
Tucker seconded that item, saying the organization has raised about $100,000 in cash toward their goal and that local support has been tremendous. A lot of people have come in the store to argue about the idea, she said, but every one has left with a positive impression.
“So we’ve made a lot of friends in the community,” Tucker said.
The executive director said they hope to obtain the proper zoning by mid year and hopefully break ground in the fall, but the group still needs more money for infrastructure.
The Tiny House Hands Up store is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, the group is co-hosting the band Rumors, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, at the GEM Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 29, at 8 p.m.
For more information about the organization, visit their Facebook page, email THHU@gmail.com, stop by the store or call 706-403-6374.