ST. LOUIS — Mayor Lyda Krewson announced Tuesday that the city of St. Louis plans to use $600,000 in federal CARES Act funding to build a "tiny house community" for unhoused people.
The city is seeking to build the community on a property at 900 N. Jefferson Ave., the site of the former St. Louis RV Park. Mayor Lyda Krewson will request for the Board of Estimate and Apportionment to approve the lease at a Wednesday meeting.
The project is part of an ongoing effort to provide more safe shelter and care for homeless people who have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
"This forward-thinking, innovative, and efficient approach to housing has been done in some other cities, but never in St. Louis," Krewson said an a press release announcing the project. "I’m proud that we continue to invest more resources than any other governmental entity in the region to address various issues associated with homelessness. This tiny house community expands our current capacity to help more people and builds on our longstanding commitment to connecting those in need to more stable housing environments.”
St. Louis plans to build tiny home community for unhoused St. Louisans
If approved, the city estimates the community would be ready to welcome its first residents by Dec. 1.
There will be 50 tiny houses for adults, including 40 single houses, eight doubles and two ADA compliant houses. Each house will have a bed, desk, chair, shelving unit, heat and air conditioning, and a charging unit for electronics. The community will provide wrap-around services, showers, meals, utilities and around-the-clock security.
The city also plans to contract with local service providers to implement on-site case management and supervision.
The $600,000 in CARES Act funding will pay for the first year of the lease, construction costs and other expenses. It comes from the $64 million funding package Krewson announced in May, which included $35.2 million in federal CARES Act funding and other federal sources, to address the health, humanitarian and economic needs of residents.
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"With this investment, we’ll be able to create new opportunities for temporary, transitional housing and better protect our unhoused neighbors, who remain at risk of contracting this dangerous virus," Krewson said. "I’m grateful to my staff and the various City departments who came together collaboratively and proactively to prioritize this project and the needs of the most vulnerable among us."
If approved, this would be St. Louis' second tiny house village for unhoused people. Last month, Krewson announced a partnership with the non-profit Veterans Community Project to build 50 tiny homes for homeless veterans in north St. Louis.