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Tiny houses help address nation's homeless problem
ap/yahoo ^ | february 26, 2014 | carrie antlfinger

Posted on 02/26/2014 5:23:49 PM PST by lowbridge

While tiny houses have been attractive for those wanting to downsize or simplify their lives for financial or environmental reasons, there's another population benefiting from the small-dwelling movement: the homeless.

There's a growing effort across the nation from advocates and religious groups to build these compact buildings because they are cheaper than a traditional large-scale shelter, help the recipients socially because they are built in communal settings and are environmentally friendly due to their size.

"You're out of the elements, you've got your own bed, you've got your own place to call your own," said Harold "Hap" Morgan, who is without a permanent home in Madison. "It gives you a little bit of self-pride: This is my own house."

He's in line for a 99-square-foot house built through the nonprofit Occupy Madison Build, or OM Build, run by former organizers with the Occupy movement. The group hopes to create a cluster of tiny houses like those in Olympia, Wash., and Eugene and Portland, Ore.

Many have been built with donated materials and volunteer labor, sometimes from the people who will live in them. Most require residents to behave appropriately, avoid drugs and alcohol and help maintain the properties.

Still, sometimes neighbors have not been receptive. Linda Brown, who can see the proposed site for Madison's tiny houses from her living room window, said she worries about noise and what her neighbors would be like.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: homeless; madison; wisconsin
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To: yarddog

Jim Walter is no longer in the house business though the company still is in other fields. I think it was four or five years ago when they closed it.


21 posted on 02/26/2014 6:12:33 PM PST by Colonel Kangaroo
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To: Pollster1

I LOVE the Sears Homekits. Not to far from where I live there is a Sears Magnolia...a HUGE two story...grand looking facade; huge rooms; kinda smooshed into a suburban lot. It was “on” the market a few years ago, and I would have loved to take a look. About 20 years ago I would have tried to bid on it.

We also have a few MontgomeryWard homes in my neck of the woods. Like Sears, nicely planned and thought out...and was in a MW house that was virtually untouched since it was built. It had a built in Hoosier cabinets (w/flour bin and glass “keepware”). There was a tiny alcove in the living room wall (specific for those new fangled telephones) and a writing desk that folded out of the wall in the LR and and ironing board that was built into the kitchen wall. Closets were tiny.


22 posted on 02/26/2014 6:15:15 PM PST by PennsylvaniaMom ( Just because you are paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you...)
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To: lowbridge

Then, they’ll hire a hundred Democrats to keep the place up and in 10 years they will be shocked to find that the Democrats ran off with 2/3 of the funds. It’s all part of THE BIG DEMOCRAT MONEY MACHINE!!!


23 posted on 02/26/2014 6:18:18 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Note the high pitched roofs. No doubt the bunk area is up there.


24 posted on 02/26/2014 6:20:08 PM PST by SpaceBar
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To: lowbridge

Here is your government approved shanty.


25 posted on 02/26/2014 6:21:44 PM PST by tbw2
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To: yarddog

I have heard of Walters (but being in the RustBelt have never seen them). I have seen Lustron Home in person. It was small; very turquoise and much like the Jetsons cartoon. Lustron was a painted/coated steel panel kit home. Really cool to see (a couple of those around here too!)


26 posted on 02/26/2014 6:22:30 PM PST by PennsylvaniaMom ( Just because you are paranoid, it doesn't mean they aren't out to get you...)
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To: lowbridge

You can already buy children’s playhouses built out of high impact plastic from Costco that would work for this.


27 posted on 02/26/2014 6:23:29 PM PST by kaehurowing
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To: PennsylvaniaMom

My Grandchildren have a play house in the back yard which is about the same size as these houses.


28 posted on 02/26/2014 6:32:46 PM PST by yarddog (Romans 8: verses 38 and 39. "For I am persuaded".)
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To: PennsylvaniaMom

I am glad that someone else appreciates them.


29 posted on 02/26/2014 6:36:32 PM PST by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: kaehurowing
You can already buy children’s playhouses built out of high impact plastic from Costco that would work for this.

For year I have wondered why they don't make semi permanent camp shells, just like they do those kids play toy houses, for many uses, they would be better than tents.

30 posted on 02/26/2014 7:06:59 PM PST by ansel12 (Ben Bradlee -- JFK told me that "he was all for people's solving their problems by abortion".)
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To: ansel12

Really need a CBS in a hurricane zone though.


31 posted on 02/26/2014 7:36:28 PM PST by bicyclerepair (TERM LIMITS .......... TERM LIMITS .......... TERM LIMITS)
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To: lowbridge

squeeze into your tenements comrades!


32 posted on 02/26/2014 7:38:39 PM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans!)
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To: PennsylvaniaMom

bookmark...thanks!


33 posted on 02/26/2014 7:58:23 PM PST by manic4organic (It was nice knowing you, America.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

> a 99-square-foot house built through the nonprofit Occupy Madison Build

Thanks lowbridge.


34 posted on 02/26/2014 8:07:37 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: lowbridge
Most require residents to behave appropriately, avoid drugs and alcohol and help maintain the properties...

No doubt this is rude, but would it be too much to ask them to GET A JOB?

35 posted on 02/26/2014 8:26:49 PM PST by gogeo (If you are Tea Party, the Republican Party does not want you.)
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To: gogeo

“Most require residents to behave appropriately, avoid drugs and alcohol and help maintain the properties...”

Maintenance? Ha, ha! Those classes of people are poor in brains, talent and motivation, as well as money. They don’t value anything given to them.


36 posted on 02/27/2014 11:14:46 AM PST by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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