CVC partners with Colorado school to open ‘tiny

houses (Photo by DAVID NIETO on Unsplash)

Beginning of late April or early May of 2022, a new set of unsheltered homeless people in Denver will soon have their “tiny homes.” A local college in Colorado and the church-partnered Colorado Village Collaborative (CVC) have been reportedly leading the project.

Cherry Creek’s Tiny Homes for Homeless People

As reported via the Centennial Citizen website, CVC and Cherry Creek Innovation Campus in Centennial, CO, recently began their 2nd home project. Called the tiny home villages, about 40 students from the school are being taught how to construct a house with complete access to plumbing and electricity.

“Tiny home villages provide a safe, dignified and alternative sheltering model for people coming from unsheltered homelessness in Denver,” Colorado Village Collaborative, the organization partnering with the school district on the project, said in a news release. “These villages bridge the gap between the streets and stable housing.”

Mike Degitis, project coordinator and a math teacher at the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus, also praised what their students have been doing so far.

He pointed out that the students are not only learning technical skills about how to build a functioning house. Instead, their students are taking note of how to help the community with their skills.

“Compared to other practice builds in class, students take pride in this project because it will actually become someone’s home,” he concluded.

Tiny Homes Structure

According to CVC’s homepage press release, the soon-to-be tiny homes will be designed by architectural companies SAR+ and Shopworks Architecture.

Compared before, the students will only be building five units for the tiny homes project. In total, exactly 19 existing sleeping units, with included bathrooms and kitchen for residents. The homes will also have a staff office space and a community center, probably meant for holistic programs for the homeless people who will join their program.

As assured by the CVC, the tiny homes are “safe, dignified and alternative sheltering model” houses for homeless people. They also described the homes as bridging the gap between the streets and stable housing.

The Beloved village will soon sit at 4201 N. Monroe St. when the village relocates from its current location at 4400 N. Pearl St. by April 30, according to the organization.

Not the First Time

As mentioned, it was not the first time that CVC and the Cherry Creek campus partnered to build tiny homes in the city of Denver. Since 2017, the tiny homes initiative have grown from its 11-unit project.

In the report, more than 45 people already benefited from the project. Exactly 11 people from that population gained their permanent housing this year.

Church-partnered CVC

CVC has been known in the city of Denver due to its housing projects for homeless people, particularly the so-called “Safe Outdoor Spaces.” Over time, these projects continue to grow in number, with more people being their advocates for the project.

Some of the best examples of their Safe Outdoor Spaces can be found at First Baptist Church and another local church, Denver Community Church.