I had a chance to drop by the new Emerald Village development during a recent open house. Somehow the folks at the non-profit Square One Villages managed to orchestrate a low income tiny house neighborhood and spawn a new community. What an impressive accomplishment!

These are the same folks who created Opportunity Village, which has helped many folks get off the streets and find a place to stabilize and get their lives turned around. But Emerald Village takes their work to the next level! The huge list of architects and developers who contributed time, energy, and designs to the project is a testament to how people can come together for the benefit of those in need. I bet they had a small army of volunteers.

Even though all the houses are not yet completed, the village is officially open and I met a few of the folks who have already moved into their new homes. Everyone seemed quite satisfied with their tiny houses, which often have less than 250 square feet of space inside. I was impressed by many of the innovative designs that combined space saving features to create surprisingly livable homes in such small spaces. 

Residents of Emerald Village are members of a housing cooperative and buy a share in the village which enables them to create an asset that can be cashed out when they choose to move out. They have a community agreement which outlines the basic code of conduct that all residents agree to, and requires that each resident participate in helping to manage the village. Residents pay $250 – $350 per month, which covers all maintenance and operating costs. Very cool!

I hope we are exiting the era where state and local governments are in the thrall of developers looking to turn a quick profit rather than be more socially responsible. It is nice to see grassroots efforts solving affordable housing issues today, and it would be great to see more of a movement at the city, county, and state levels to support these kinds of innovative projects. The greed of society has left many people out in the cold and it is time to find our hearts and mend our ways so that nobody has to worry about basic necessities, such as shelter and food, which many of us take for granted.

Posted By: Joshua Kielas, 07.19.2018