'Tiny' shelters aim to help northern Indiana city's homeless

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) - The foundations are poured, wall frames and ceiling trusses are on their way, and by the end of the summer, a new 'œtiny'ť living concept is expected to make a big difference in Elkhart County.

The Faith Mission of Michiana and the Crossing School of Business & Entrepreneurship broke ground last week on a $300,000 effort to provide short-term housing for homeless people in and around Elkhart.

Inspired by a trend growing nationally, a dozen 12-by-16 tiny shelters will provide one-night or brief-stay housing through Faith Mission's Low Barrier Shelter program, created in 2019.

The Low Barrier Shelter program already serves about 50 people seeking emergency shelter through communal housing, Faith Mission Resource/Development Director Mike Perez said.

However, the tiny shelters will appeal more broadly to people, such as those with pets, PTSD or mental illness, who might find greater comfort in an individual space.

The 192-square-foot, cabin-like structures will each be outfitted with a toilet, sink, bed and chair, and will be connected via outdoor pathways to a communal bath and laundry house.

Elkhart city leaders joined Faith Mission and the Crossing, whose students are assisting in construction, for a recent ground breaking of the project.

'œWe realize there's a group of folks that need shelter but don't want all of the services a shelter provides,'ť Perez said. 'œThis really will allow police and the city to help get people to somewhere safe no matter what.'ť

A team of about 10 students in the Construction Career Pathway program at the Crossing in Goshen have been working in the last three to four weeks during school hours to measure, cut and build wall frames and ceiling trusses for the shelters which will ship in pieces to foundations poured at the Faith Mission.

Perez said partnering with the Crossing, a faith-based school providing small business and job training to students who may have struggled in traditional education environments, just made sense.

Students at the Crossing will pick-up real-world construction trades experience while assisting Faith Mission in its goal to expand the availability of short-term housing.

'œIt was just one of those things that worked out perfectly,'ť Perez said. 'œIt benefits them and it benefits us.'ť

Six frames have already been delivered to Faith Mission. Community volunteers will help build the structures onsite this spring, Perez said.

Duffy Sherman, instructor for the Construction Career Pathway, said he has approached each step of the project like a job, training students both in construction trades and soft skills like time management and working as a team. His support dog, Raven, joins the team daily, to provide some levity as the teens work on their next half dozen structures.

'œSome of these kids, in the path they're on, may end up there,'ť Sherman said of Faith Mission. 'œThis is a chance to pay it forward.'ť

For Caitlyn Ortiz, 16, who started her first year at the Crossing during the pandemic, the project provides the opportunity to stay engaged in hands-on experiences in a small group setting.

The high school sophomore, who had little construction experience before joining the school, said she's now considering career possibilities in the trades.

'œIt's a lot more entertaining,'ť Ortiz said. 'œI just feel like at this school, there's a bigger bond between the students and between the teachers.'ť

She and other students say they are hopeful the partnership with Faith Mission can draw attention from others who could use the students' services.

'œThe whole purpose of this tiny homes thing is to get more recognition from other people and seeing, hopefully, bigger businesses get invested into our school so we can start building things for them,'ť said Brady Brell, a freshman at the Crossing.

Faith Mission, which is paying for the tiny shelters, has raised $160,000 so far and is continuing to seek support for the project.

The first shelters should be open between late July and early August, Perez said.

Faith Mission's next phase will be to add a dozen slightly larger structures, with full kitchens and bedrooms, to serve as longer term housing for those transitioning out of the mission's shelter program.

Those tiny houses are expected to cost about $800,000, Perez said. Although some projects stalled during the coronavirus pandemic, Perez said Faith Mission hopes to roll directly into its second phase by the end of the year.

'œWe know there's individuals in our community that need shelter, they need help and they need resources,'ť Perez said. 'œSometimes the very basic things you do can change things, and sheltering is one of them.'ť

Faith Mission is seeking donations for its continuing projects at its website, thefaithmission.org or by calling Mike Perez at (574) 293-3406 ext. 105.

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Source: South Bend Tribune