BRUNSWICK, Ga. — The new tiny home village in Brunswick, Georgia is almost ready for occupants, and it comes at a time when it’s tough to find affordable housing.
Hand in Hand of Glynn will provide shelter, nourishment and a sense of community for the city’s homeless population on the small piece of land. It’s the first of its kind in Glynn County.
There are 60 tiny homes on the Grove At Correll Commons campus to house the homeless population. Everything is furnished to provide for their needs inside the homes.
Hand in Hand of Glynn Board Chair Anne Stembler is about see her dream become reality. The organization has been working on the tiny home project since 2019.
“When you strategically have to put 60 houses on four and a quarter acres,” Stembler said, “sometimes you have to sacrifice a tree.”
By the end of the year, dozens of people will call these 240 sq. ft. houses “home.”
“There’s a myriad of reasons why people become homeless,” Stembler said. “And even just as we all know in the last year, rents have gone sky-high.”
The one-bedroom homes include a kitchen with appliances, a bathroom and twin bed, but it’s more than a roof over their heads. On campus, there’s a laundry room, classrooms and a doctor’s office for primary care.
Hand in Hand of Glynn Treasurer Linda Heagy said they want the people who live there to learn new skills.
“Second Harvest is going to have a pantry here,” Heagy said. “And we’ll have all sorts of wellness classes: nutrition, cooking, exercise. Just things that we might take for granted that people need to know in order to take care of themselves.”
They’re waiting on the Brunswick Housing Authority to provide vouchers before anyone moves in. All the funds have been raised by private donors, but the group is still in need of furniture for some of the homes.
“We’re not just all out there ineffectual,” Heagy said. “We can do something if we get together and put our focus on getting something done for the homeless.”
They expect people to start moving in next month.
To apply for housing or find out how to donate furniture, visit Hand in Hand of Glynn's website.