Tiny Homes Alone Don’t End Homelessness. Giving Residents a Stake Can Change the Outcome
Shelter matters, but participation can turn recipients into stakeholders. See what tiny home villages teach leaders about ownership and lasting change.
EXPERT OPINION BY SOREN KAPLAN, WSJ BESTSELLING AUTHOR, KEYNOTE SPEAKER, AND LEADERSHIP STRATEGY ADVISOR
The City of Bellingham, Washington announced another tiny home village for people leaving homelessness. The cluster of 35 to 40 units will open in early 2027 on city-owned land, and will be run by HomesNOW! Not Later, a local nonprofit, the Bellingham Herald reported.
The organization operates with no paid staff and depends on volunteers. Many volunteers are residents who help build and manage the villages themselves.
Applicants are screened and must agree
Applicants are screened and must agree to a shared rulebook that includes staying sober and pitching in. HomesNOW reports that about 70 percent of the people who pass through its North Haven village reach permanent housing.
The surface story is about a housing program. The pattern underneath reveals a critical successful factor in driving transformation change at the individual, team, and organizational levels.
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Ownership Drives Commitment
Safety nets can be controversial. We’ve seen this across city, state, and national social programs. But research shows that a safety net that also asks something of the people receiving it drives commitment to change.
Why would adding an obligation, and sometimes
Why would adding an obligation, and sometimes a cost, make the process of helping others work even better?
A place to sleep isn’t enough to turn a life around. HomesNOW says so in its own materials, noting that people who have been on the streets often lose confidence and need to rebuild self-esteem by contributing again. So, residents are asked – and required – to pitch in.
Source: www.inc.com
