February 13, 2017
Tiny House Village Gets Heat!

Othello Village with newly installed electrical conduit.  Residents Mitze and Sean showing off one of the new heaters.

Nickelsville Othello Village, a city-sanctioned tiny house village serving homeless families and individuals received a significant quality of life upgrade as heat and electricity have been installed in all the tiny houses. Heat, light and electrical outlets were made possible due to generous donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.

Currently 61 people live in Othello Village, including 50 adults and 11 children.
 
The residents are ecstatic given the cold weather these past few weeks. "This is the first time I've had a door and heat in six years. Thanks so much. It is so life altering. We are so blessed," said Mitze, who had tears in her eyes. "This is the end of a long hard winter. Thanks for your donations," said Sean.
 
Othello Village is the third city-sanctioned encampment and was opened by LIHI and Nickelsville in March of 2016 as a crisis response to homelessness. Many people are not able to access traditional shelters, including couples, men with children, families with teenage sons, people with pets, and individuals who are working and need a place to keep their belongings safe. Over 3,000 men, women and children are on the streets unsheltered according to the January 2016 One Night Count.
 
LIHI executive director Sharon Lee said: "We had a bare bones budget when we opened Othello Village last year. At that time we did not have money to install electricity and heat in the tiny houses. We are most grateful to the many donors who made this possible. A little heat goes a long ways when your house is 8 feet by 12 feet, the size of a small bedroom." A small family can fit in a tiny house and a large family can fit in two tiny houses side by side.
 
LIHI Boardmember Melinda Nichols said, " We 've been learning a lot. Just insulating the houses was not enough. Heat is necessary both for the residents and for keeping the tiny houses dry and free from moisture damage."  The International District Rotary is helping LIHI raise money for the portable hot oil electric heaters, which cost $61 each.
 
Located near Othello Light Rail Station at 7544 M artin Luther King Jr. Way S., the village contains 28 insulated tiny houses that are 8 feet by 12 feet and 12 tents on platforms. The village has a kitchen, a community tent, a shower trailer, a donation hut and a security booth. The village provides shelter for vulnerable families and individuals experiencing homelessness. The property is owned by LIHI and Nickelsville residents participate in self-help and democratic decision-making in the day to day operations. The Seattle Human Services Department provides funding for operations and case management services to help people obtain housing and jobs.
 
In the nine months the village was in operation in 2016, LIHI moved 68 Othello Village residents into housing and 13 into other shelter. 14 have been reunited with family and friends. 19 have found employment.
 
Most of the tiny houses were built by volunteers. The organizations and pre-apprenticeship programs that donated their resources and energy to build the tiny houses are: the Tulalip Tribes TERO Training Program, YouthBuild, Hazel Wolfe K-8 School, Lowe's, Home Depot, Rebuilding Together, Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women (ANEW), Renton Technical College, Paul G. Allen Foundation, Seattle Vocational Institute, Sawhorse Revolution, Valley Cities, Carpenters Apprenticeship, Portable Storage NW, and Walsh Construction. Hundreds of community volunteers also painted, tiled and furnished the tiny houses.
 
LIHI, in partnership with Nickelsville and SHARE, hopes to duplicate the success of Othello Village at our future tiny house villages, including two upcoming city-sanctioned sites opening in Georgetown and Licton Springs. 
 
If you would like to get involved in our Tiny House program, we are always accepting volunteers.  More info on volunteering:  Get Involved!
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LIHI Residents, Volunteers and Staff Step Up at   Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day &
Count Us In  
 
The LIHI team and SKCCH at Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day 
 
A LIHI team of 14 staff, residents, and volunteers lobbied their elected representatives on Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day (HHAD) on Feb 2nd, joining hundreds of other advocates from across the state.  HHAD was an inspiring day in which advocates gathered for workshops, rallied on the Capitol steps, and met with lawmakers to discuss solutions to our state's affordable housing and homelessness crisis. It was an exciting, action-packed and educational day for the LIHI team!

For more info on housing and homelessness advocacy, please visit the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance website.

LIHI Essential Need Coordinator Bradford Gerber (center) led the LIHI group. 

At January 27th's Count Us In (formerly known as the One Night Count), 9 LIHI staff and volunteers, with the help of 3 guides, were assigned to count the numbers of homeless individuals in three sections of Fremont and Ballard between 2am and 6am. The information learned from this annual count is crucial for our city and county to understand the full breadth of homelessness.

All Home King County hasn't released the data from this year's count yet.  Visit their website for more information.

Thank you to LIHI residents, volunteers, and staff for stepping up to help with these crucial efforts in the fight to end homelessness!

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Support Housing for All!
  
       
  
Sharon Lee
Executive Director
Low Income Housing Institute