Greenville County students have designed tiny, affordable homes for graduates of Soteria Community Development Corp., a local nonprofit that assists men and women who were previously incarcerated. The Tiny House Collaborative, which originated in the architecture department at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville County Schools, aims to create more affordable housing options for those in need.
Affordable Housing Initiative
The project, which began in the fall of 2022, involves students designing three tiny homes for individuals experiencing homelessness. The designs will be used to create a tiny home community for Soteria graduates, with five homes planned and a monthly rent of around $400 to $500. Jerry Blassingame, CEO of Soteria CDC, noted that it can be challenging for people with criminal records to access affordable housing, and this initiative aims to address that issue.
The first tiny home, named the Murphy House, was built by students at the school district’s J Harley Bonds Career Center. The 128-square-foot house features a full bathroom, a kitchen, and a small living area with a fold-down bed. TreeHugger Customs, a Greenville-based construction company, will work alongside Soteria program participants to complete the first tiny house and construct the remaining four homes for the pilot project.
Original reporting: Greenville Journal — read the source article.
