In several cities across the U.S., villages of “tiny houses” are being erected to serve the homeless.
These villages vary in the number of homeless they serve, housing between approximately ten to fifty homeless people each. In this news article and video, Alan Graham, a former real estate developer and CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, discusses Community First, a tiny home village which he developed in Austin, Texas, intended to serve the homeless population in that city. Graham states that Community First is based on what he calls a “relationship model.” He claims, “Housing will never solve homelessness, but community will.”
Read the article and watch the video (linked above) about one of these tiny house villages. Once you are done, follow the instructions for your discussion, below.
- Discuss what Graham means by that statement “Housing will never solve homelessness, but community will?”
- What do you think he means by “community”?
- Based on the information presented, who do you think benefits from the tiny home model – just the people that are no longer homeless who live there?
- Who does Alan Graham feel is responsible for ending homelessness, and what specific roles would they take in ending homelessness?
- Do you think this model if fair, or not? Explain. Support your conclusions by explaining why/why not.
Grading:
Post an initial 250 word response