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SALT LAKE CITY — The home was built in just 31 days, in time to be featured in the Utah Parade of Homes.
The tiny home for the Other Side Village, a community for the chronically homeless, was revealed in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday.
"We were here and stuffing the pillow shams and making the bed, and the thought occurred to me as we were making the bed that somebody who is potentially sleeping on the streets of Salt Lake City right now and struggling with where to go to the bathroom and where to get a safe night sleep and where to have a shower, somebody who's in that survival mentality would be sleeping in this home in that bed, locking that door and it would be life-changing for them," said Don Adamson, HomeAid Utah executive director.
The HomeAid Collaboration Cottage was built in partnership with its namesake, HomeAid, a nonprofit that builds and maintains housing and programmatic facilities for reputable nonprofit organizations and public institutions serving those experiencing homelessness. The organization relies on relationships within the local building industry to garner the donation of labor and materials.
"The reality of it is this home is exceptionally well-built; everybody that participated put their creativity, their heart and their soul into it because they knew who it was intended for," Adamson said.
The tiny home unveiled on Wednesday is the first of the 10 to 15 homes HomeAid has pledged to donate and was the work of around 34 community partners who participated either in the building of or the products used in the home.
The cottage is currently located at the rear of 230 W. Towne Ridge Parkway in Sandy. The tiny home will eventually join other homes to be used in the village during its first phase.
The master-planned neighborhood will house 430 affordable tiny homes as permanent housing for people who are chronically homeless. The first phase of the project will consist of an initial 60 homes on the 38-acre lot at 1850 W. Indiana Avenue. Half of those tiny homes have already been or are in the process of being built.
When you think about what this home represents, it represents hope.
– The Other Side Village CEO Preston Cochrane
"The mission of the Other Side Village is to permanently change the lives of those who are experiencing homelessness by creating healing communities and purposeful living. It's not to reduce but is to permanently change," said the Other Side Village CEO Preston Cochrane.
"If you've ever been on the streets of Salt Lake or interacted with the homeless community, the first thing that they need is trust. And that's what we're trying to build this trust. When you think about what this home represents, it represents hope," he continued.
Several villagers who have been selected and graduated from the prep school required for residency at the Other Side Village were present at the ribbon-cutting Wednesday. Other attendees included build captain Steel Built and other organizations that donated time or materials to the project.
"We are thrilled to see the HomeAid Collaboration Cottage come to fruition," said Adamson at the ribbon cutting. "This project is a testament to the power of unity, compassion, and the shared vision of our partners, volunteers and contributors. It represents a significant milestone in our mission to combat homelessness and build a better future for those less fortunate."
