Elizabeth Roggenbauer: Tiny solutions to a big problem

Spokane’s homeless population is a big problem and as the winter months are upon us it is even more important to help get these people in homes and off the streets. One solution that has had a huge success in other parts of the U.S. is tiny home communities. These communities, made for the homeless, serve as a stepping stone to help them get back on their feet. These homes can also be used as a more affordable permanent housing option.

There are several shelters for homeless in Spokane, but these shelters often fill up quickly, and must turn many homeless away, returning them to the streets. Building tiny homes will create an alternative and more permanent option for the homeless to go.

Homelessness affects more than just the homeless. Business owners and consumers in the downtown area are also affected. Business owners report feeling unsafe at work because of the increased crime and visible drug use by homeless; this is also making shoppers wary of going into businesses where homeless people may be near or around. A student at Eastern Washington University interviewed business owners in downtown Spokane about the presence of the homeless near their businesses. One business owner said, “I feel afraid to take the trash to the dumpster at night, and my patrons have said they don’t want to bring their children to my store.” This shows just how much the homeless presence downtown is affecting businesses and shoppers in a negative way. Tiny homes will address the primary issue of helping the homeless and the side issues of crime and disruption in Spokane.

One city that has had success with tiny homes is Denver, Colorado. In July 2017, a tiny home community was built for 12 residents. This community was built as a prototype to show how tiny home communities could combat homelessness in Denver. A 10-month-long study was conducted and of the 12 residents in the study only one person returned to homelessness, while three residents moved out into permanent housing. All residents were employed, in school, or collecting f on a disability. This These data show that in Denver this project had a 92 percent success rate in getting homeless people into homes. There is no reason that the same success rate couldn’t be achieved here in Spokane.

Clearly these homes are needed in Spokane to help the homeless and the city. These homes won’t be free – building materials, land and utility costs are all part of building them. Spokane has many charity organizations that could step up to cover some of the costs as well as provide volunteers to build the houses.

The location of these homes is also important to consider. There are many areas close to downtown that could be used. Although some people say that building the tiny homes in populated neighborhoods will increase crime or decrease their houses’ value, the project in Denver found that the area in which the houses were built had no increase in crime and 90 percent of neighbors interviewed report a positive or no impact from the village in the neighborhood.

There are several tiny home models that are being built around the U.S. that could be used as prototypes. Some models include the Plug-in home, which costs $13,000 and only takes one tool to build, or a 3-D printed home that costs less than $10,000 and only takes one day to build. These are just suggestions on how our city could make these tiny homes a reality for the homeless of Spokane.

To make this solution a reality will cost time and money. However, with Spokane’s long history of helping people in need, and the motivation to solve this problem, I believe that this project would make Spokane a better place for everyone. It would be the tiny solution to Spokane’s big problem.

Elizabeth Roggenbauer is a student at Lewis and Clark High School.