New tiny house village opening in South Seattle

SEATTLE — A new tiny house village will provide shelter for an estimated 60 people who have been living outdoors in Rainier Beach and South Seattle.

A grand opening celebration for Southend Village, located at 9101 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, is being held Thursday, with speakers, tours and refreshments.

The village has 40 tiny houses. The 8′ x 12′ dwellings are fully furnished with heat, insulation and locking doors for families, couples, individuals and people with pets who are without homes.

The new tiny home community is staffed around the clock and includes bathrooms, showers, laundry and kitchen facilities and shared gathering spaces. There are also offices for case managers and security.

The village has one entrance and an emergency exit, and is surrounded by a cedar fence to keep residents safe.

On-site case managers will be available to help occupants find permanent housing, jobs, health care, identification and services.

LIHI said the goal is for residents to have a place to stay while case managers help them transition “as quickly as possible” to permanent housing.

People living in the village are required to follow a code of conduct which includes regularly meeting with a case manager on a plan to transition into permanent housing.

Residents will share chores which include picking up trash in and around the village, general upkeep and cleaning and beautifying the site.

LIHI said a community advisory council composed of neighbors, businesses and community members is being formed. The group will meet monthly to provide neighborhood oversight, input and support.

The village is on private land and is sponsored by Truevine of Holiness Missionary Baptist Church, which will operate the village in partnership with the Low Income Housing Institute.

“Thanks to a last-minute $250,000 grant from the Lucky Seven Foundation, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority agreed to fund an additional $500,000 in operating costs for this year,” a news release from LIHI said.

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