- Video shows a first-time look at the nearly completed tiny homes in Oildale, which include a community center for residents, showers, laundry, and security.
- The tiny homes in Oildale will begin taking in residents in March.
- We got an inside look at what this new community looks like and heard from potential residents looking to eventually call it home.
Thomas Carrow has been on the streets for over two years now. A father of two sons, he’s hoping to get off the streets into one of the tiny homes.
“Before this, I was a carnie, I worked at the carnival,” he told us. “I was a single parent, raised both my boys, the oldest is 36, the younger is 32. Having a home, a place to be that we're not going to be hassled.”
Currently, the County has received lists of potential residents for the tiny homes from local groups like Flood Ministries, Church Without Walls, and Behavioral Health. Carrow is one of those names.
President of Hope the Mission Rowan Vansleve took us through the process for new residents coming into the homes.
“We’re identifying a list of who can come in,” he said. “Once you go through security we’re going to put all of your clothes into a hot box to kill any bacteria. Then you get taken to the community center where you can eat, and we want them to eat their fill.”
The tiny homes community will be completely fenced with only a single entrance and exit.
“Knowing that when they come in there, there is 24-hour security, two security guards — typically one male and one female — searching for drugs or alcohol,” Vansleve said. “Knowing that when you live on site you’re safe.”
Along with security, each tiny home is equipped with a lock, with each home limited to a single individual or couple — a stark difference from the congregate setting seen at other shelters. This security is something that drew Russell Smith in.
“I’m out here on the streets and I’ve just run out of resources to turn to,” Smith said. “I want to get my own place, start fresh on my own.”
Smith is also on the list of potential residents. While there are many hoping to find themselves at the tiny homes, there are only 50 spots available.
Vansleve said each resident at the tiny homes will be assigned a case worker. They’ll bring residents in slowly and in groups spread out over a couple of weeks to give them and the community time to acclimate. He said after about two weeks they should be at capacity.
“In these tiny home communities, the very first thing that happens is it becomes very mundane,” Vansleve said.
Residents will be on curfew with potential work-related exceptions. There will be no alcohol or drug use permitted on the premises. Vansleve said 24-hour surveillance and security will also monitor the perimeter of the community to ensure safety and regulation. Each tiny home is permitted a single pet and Vansleve said pet food will also be provided.
Eventually, the hope is to get each resident into permanent housing. Residents like Carrow.
“Now I’m 63 years old and it’s time for me to relax and watch a little TV,” Carrow said.
Hope the Mission is looking to open the tiny homes to the public at the beginning of March before they bring in their first residents on March 12.
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