Offering people privacy, stability, and dignity.
Waters Meet Foundation's pilot tiny home village aims to help residents safely transition out of homelessness.
An example of a tiny home built by the Low Income Housing Institute.
An example of a pallet shelter village in Kelowna, BC, from the Pallet Shelter company.
Why Tiny Homes?
Waters Meet is committed to providing shelter and facilitating residents' transition into longer-term housing. We are planning to launch this pilot by the end of September before cold weather increases risk for people living outside.
This project reflects years of engagement with Spokane’s unhoused community and service providers. Well-managed tiny home villages have been shown to reduce crime and improve public health. Neighboring communities, including Missoula and Walla Walla, have successfully launched similar models, helping residents safely transition out of homelessness.
PROJECT PARAMETERS
Providing personal shelters while looking to inform future housing initiatives.
Waters Meet will be installing thirty tiny home units, along with shared facilities and case management services, on Foundation-owned property in Spokane’s West Hills. The site meets accessibility and shelter siting guidelines, since it lies on a public transit line, is not within 1000 feet of a school, and is already zoned to allow for temporary shelters.
The homes are temporary structures and can be moved. As part of the pilot, we are using models from both Pallet Shelter and the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI), so we can evaluate the comfort and performance of each unit type to inform future projects.
FUNDING
This project was funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, administered by the Washington State Commerce Department through the Encampment Resolution Project. That funding was utilized to purchase the shelters. Opioid Settlement Funds will support the operating expenses of the village.
OPERATOR
The operator has not yet been selected. The City of Spokane released a request for service provider proposals on August 20. The application details are linked below.
POPULATION
Waters Meet is not responsible for selecting the residents whom this tiny home community will serve. This will be determined once the City of Spokane has selected an operator. Because of funding requirements: "This site must prioritize individuals who can benefit from treatment and/or prevention and recovery services for opioid use disorder."
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Supporting a community of good neighbors.
As required by City law, a Good Neighbor Agreement will be established for the tiny home village, including regular points of contact for community members, and Waters Meet looks forward to collaborating with neighbors to reduce any potential community impacts from this project. Additionally, we are committed to keeping the property clean and ensuring respectful behavior.
We will share additional information as it becomes available here:
The City of Spokane has released a Request for Proposals outlining the qualifications for service providers interested in operating the New Roots Tiny Home Village. You can find the document here: New Roots Village Request for Proposals
Read our presentation to West Hills community members here: Presentation slides from July 31
Read our response to community questions from West Hills neighbors here: West Hills Neighborhood Q&A