How Little Houses Can Solve Big Housing Problems

The tiny home movement has grown in popularity over the last few years  thanks to TV shows like “Tiny House Hunters” and “Tiny House Big Living” on HGTV, where fans have admired the charming micro dwellings — as well as their low price tags. Tiny homes are not only cheaper, but they are also a more sustainable type of housing due to their low energy costs and smaller overall footprint.

Rev. Fowler will explore the use of tiny houses by organizations across the country as an alternative to shelters and affordable housing, and the use of tiny homes as a way to help poverty stricken people acquire an asset.

Rev. Fowler is the Executive Director at Cass Community Social Services, a nonprofit that provides food, housing, health care and jobs in Detroit. Cass has been recognized for innovative solutions to stubborn social problems and crisis is in the process of building 25 different tiny homes in Detroit, MI. Tiny home residents will have a combination of experiences (formerly homeless people, senior citizens, college students and a few Cass staff members) but all will qualify as low-income. At first, the residents will rent the homes. Anyone who remains for seven years will be given the opportunity to own the home and property.

Photo credit: Diane Weiss