A Seattle nonprofit is using Airbnb's model to put prefab tiny homes in backyards to shelter the homeless — see what they're like

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Tiny homes have been in high demand since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the $26,000 build-it-yourself tiny home kits that sold out through 2021 to a tiny home in California that recently sold for over $1 million, it seems like the public just can't get enough of these downsized living opportunities.

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Since the start of 2020, people across the US have dished out millions of dollars for tiny homes to use as backyard offices, vacation homes, and an opportunity to live minimally.

But consumers paying thousands of dollars per unit aren't the only ones who have taken advantage of the tiny home boom.

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Several nonprofit organizations across the US have been launching "tiny home villages" that function as transitional shelters to house people without homes.

Last year alone, Los Angeles — in partnership with nonprofit Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission — opened seven multi-million-dollar villages that now successfully shelter hundreds of the city's residents.

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And states like Hawaii, New Mexico, and Washington are now deploying a similar strategy.

But Seattle nonprofit Facing Homelessness and its tiny home arm, the Block Project, is taking a slightly different approach.

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It takes more than a village to solve the ongoing homelessness crisis.

Instead of building a community, the nonprofit is putting prefab tiny homes in Seattle residents' backyards to permanently shelter the city's unhoused population.

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Think of the Block Project as an Airbnb program, but instead of inviting strangers into your home, you're letting strangers stay in your backyard long-term.

According to Jennifer Tee, the deputy director of Facing Homelessness, Airbnb model's — specifically strangers staying in peoples' homes — helped pave the way for the Block Project's success.

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"When we put the notice out for the first time, we were overwhelmed by the response of people who wanted to get involved with the Block Project," Tee told Insider.

The nonprofit's idea to create tiny home shelters was first conceived in 2016, well before the string of tiny home villages started appearing in Los Angeles.

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And its first resident — who's still with the program — moved into their little living unit in late 2017.

Since then, the nonprofit has housed around 14 people, Tee told Insider in November 2021.

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"We're expanding at the rate of community," Tee said, noting that the nonprofit wants to have 18 tiny homes in operation by the end of this year.

But unlike the tiny home villages that have been growing in popularity, the Block Project is providing permanent housing opportunities.

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The nonprofit doesn't set an expiration date for an occupant's stay in a tiny home.

"What we're hearing from our residents is 'we want to have a permanent space we can call home, be stable, and really settle,'" Tee said.

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However, she acknowledges that there's no singular solution to the ongoing homelessness crisis, whether it be permanent or temporary housing.

To set up a new home, the nonprofit works directly with the homeowner and potential tiny home dweller.

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Homeowners who lend their backyards to the Block Project sign a renewable five-year "ground lease" to lease 500 square-feet of their yard to the nonprofit.

This space is then used for the 128-square-foot tiny home, a pathway leading up to the home, and landscaping.

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About 70% of the panelized tiny homes are built off-site by volunteers.

These panels are then trucked to the backyards to be assembled on-site with the help of volunteers.

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According to the nonprofit, these tiny homes — which are lined with solar panels — are affordable to construct.

A prefab unit costs $75,000, and the building process produces almost zero waste.

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Each unit has its own bed, bathroom ...

... and kitchen, giving its occupants a private home of their own.

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A homeowner can opt to pay for their new neighbor's monthly utilities.

But if they aren't interested in fronting this cost, the nonprofit can pay for it instead.

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Residents are selected via referrals from agencies and case managers …

… and they must sign an agreement that says their stay can be cut short for reasons like "criminal activity."

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The formerly unhoused resident doesn't pay rent.

But if Block Project does begin requesting payment, a person's rent will be decided on a "sliding scale" that factors in income and the duration of their stay, according to the nonprofit.

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The nonprofit then plays the role of matchmaker, pairing a property owner with someone who wants a home.

The relationship between the homeowner and the resident varies from being neighbors who intermittently see each other to becoming a tight-knit family who shares weekly dinners.

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"The closer people come to learning about an issue, the closer people come to understanding a person's experience, and the more inclined they are to understand a bit more and want to do something about it," Tee said.