Thanks to students at Texas A&M some of Austin’s homeless population now have a roof over their head in the form of mini-houses.
Some of Austin’s most financially challenged can now say “be it ever so tiny there is no place like home” thanks to A&M construction science and design undergraduate students. Starting in April, students took up the challenge of designing and building miniature homes and on June 3 delivered the finished products to Community First Village.
A 27-acre master-planned community for the disabled and chronically homeless of Central Texas, Community First Village provides affordable, sustainable housing that not only gives its residents a safe place to live, but also opens up opportunities for them. With a permanent address and facilities to bath and do laundry, many who couldn't find a job before can now do so.
The houses, although they have less than 150 square feet of living space, include a living area, bedroom, closet space, and shelving, and storage compartments. Although commercially produced mini-homes usually include bathrooms and kitchens, these did not. The Community First Village, which opened in August of 2014, provides communal cooking and bathing facilities.
Raising support for projects such as Community First Village often comes down to promotion. To reach those who are in a position to help means putting together informative literature and then employing the services of brochure printers.
