Tiny home development services to begin in the spring

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- A tiny home development project by Community Action Partnership is on track to assist members of the homeless community this spring.

The housing development at 2101 S. Eighth St. will include 10 small homes for those experiencing in St. Joseph. The units will be used as a transitional source of living for unhoused people, who also will be provided with life skill training to promote stability.

“We’re going to allow them to stay up to 12 months while they’re in the program,” said Angi Duty, community services director at Community Action Partnership. “We’re going to be working with them on different life skills like budgeting, financial management, sorting through medical providers for both their physical and mental health.”

Individuals also will be connected with the SkillUp program, which will assist with skills, training and employer connections to help them to get a job.

Three of the 10 tiny homes are close to completion with doors, windows and the interior design being placed. They will start housing individuals in April.

“We’re going to open up with just three, get all our processes worked out and make sure that everything’s running smoothly,” Duty said. “Then we’ll start working on getting the additional units completed after that.

The goal is to work with individuals who already have a source of income and other resources that can be beneficial in helping them transition.

“Once we get a little bit closer to being able to move tenants in, we’ll be going through our waiting list, having them fill out applications and calling them in to do interviews so we can start selecting candidates to move in,” Duty said.

For more information and to sign up for the waiting list, call 816-233-8281.