Savannah Area REALTORS® Disaster Relief Fund works with Tiny House Project

October 30, 2019 via WSAV News

Savannah Area REALTORS Disaster Relief Fund recently participated in the Tiny House Project. The project works to provide tiny homes for homeless veterans.

According to the Chatham Savannah Homeless Authority, there are roughly 280 homeless veterans in Savannah — the second most homeless-populated region in Georgia. The Tiny House Project is expected to lower that number.

Executive Director for the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless, Cindy Murphy Kelley, says the Tiny House Project is the most cost-effective way to serve a population that is likely to end up in unregulated homeless camps.

The Chatham Savannah Homeless Authority recently completed phase one of the project, which housed 12 veterans in July. Eleven additional veterans will be moving into tiny homes in the coming week.

Kenneth McNeal served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. He says once he finished his service, it was difficult for him to find a job with his disability, which left him homeless.

Now, he’s been living in his tiny house for four months.

“She told me it was a tiny house and I said, ‘Well, God, that’s really good.’ You know because I was just looking to move anywhere. Just to have a place to stay,” McNeal said.

Eventually, there will be 72 tiny homes available for veterans in need — equipped with full kitchens, bathrooms, and a bedroom — all within 26 square feet.