Tiny Homes: Innovating Mental Health Housing Solutions
For people facing mental illness, finding safe and affordable housing can be a huge barrier. Now, one pilot program is hoping to be a model for communities around the country – an intersection of therapy services and a village of tiny homes, all specifically designed for residents with mental illness.
Transcript
00:00 For people facing mental illness,
00:02 finding safe and affordable housing can be a huge barrier.
00:06 Now, though, one pilot program is hoping to become
00:09 a model for communities across the country,
00:12 an intersection of therapy services
00:15 and a village of tiny homes,
00:17 all specifically designed for residents
00:19 with a mental illness.
00:21 It starts with a colorful front door.
00:23 The colors on the doors are kind of our signature.
00:26 And opens up into 416 square feet of home.
00:31 It's a small space, but it is packed with thought and love
00:35 and envisioning someone's life getting a lot better
00:39 inside this space.
00:40 Welcome to the farm at Penny Lane.
00:42 More than just a collection of tiny homes,
00:44 it's a community built upon mental health services
00:47 near Pittsburgh, North Carolina.
00:49 Having a safe, affordable place to call home,
00:54 it's so paramount.
00:55 Tava Mahadevan is director of the non-profit
00:58 Cross Disability Services and part of the faculty
01:02 at the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine.
01:05 To me, this is very personal.
01:06 I am a refugee from Sri Lanka,
01:09 one of the lucky ones to get out alive
01:11 and experienced some housing insecurity.
01:14 Partnering with UNC's School of Social Work
01:17 and builder Garment Homes,
01:19 the farm at Penny Lane's tiny homes are coming to life
01:22 as a pilot program to provide affordable housing
01:26 for people suffering from mental illness.
01:28 Once the application process wraps up,
01:32 the village will welcome its first residents in September.
01:35 It's gonna be about $300 a month.
01:37 They will sign a lease, a yearly lease,
01:39 and they could live here as long as they want to.
01:41 Besides the 15 homes,
01:43 there are mental health services here
01:45 set amidst their working organic farm.
01:48 Also part of the therapy offered,
01:50 where produce is grown for sale
01:52 and for the residents who will be living here.
01:55 There's also animal therapy, including a bunny village.
01:59 Using bunnies as a way to engage clients.
02:03 And also it's a form of therapy in some ways.
02:05 Holding onto a bunny can make a huge difference sometimes.
02:09 But the stars of the village are the homes.
02:11 Each one cost $50,000 to build,
02:14 paid for through private fundraising.
02:17 Garment Homes founder, Elena "Money" Garment,
02:19 says they built the homes to specific criteria.
02:22 The design of the homes is actually based on research
02:25 by Dr. Amy Wilson with the UNC School of Social Work.
02:28 And her research on people with serious mental illness
02:31 talked about how the space can either contribute to
02:36 or take away from someone's mental health.
02:39 With that in mind,
02:40 some of the one-bedroom homes face the street.
02:43 Others are parallel to it,
02:45 to help provide a sense of privacy.
02:48 They also have multiple windows to let in natural light.
02:51 Even the placement of the kitchen island came into play.
02:54 We want to envision the residents
02:56 inviting people into their home.
02:57 We know that connection is part of healing.
03:00 We hope that this is the first of many projects
03:03 that aim to meet people
03:05 where they are in the housing spectrum and not be forgotten.
03:08 And one that will be monitored and studied
03:10 by UNC's School of Social Work.
03:12 We want to make sure we have the metrics
03:14 and we have the data to support the work
03:16 that is happening over here.
03:17 Being able to consult and being able to help
03:20 other communities will be one of our priorities.
03:22 So that what they're building here
03:24 might be replicated around the country.
03:27 Maya Rodriguez, Scripps News, Pittsburgh, North Carolina.