The sound of a drill signals the wall of the first tiny home in Hope Village is set in place.
Mel Trotter Ministries, the largest provider of services to people experiencing homelessness in West Michigan, hosted a “ground-breaking wall-raising” event at the site on Garden Avenue SE.
The nearly two-acre site will hold 16 homes ranging from 400-530 square feet of living space, with all standard housing features required by Grand Rapids building code.
“These are one-to-two-bedroom homes. They have a full kitchen, bathroom, stackable washer and dryer.”
David Bult is the Executive Director of Next Step of West Michigan - a subsidiary of Mel Trotter Ministries and a faith-based job skills training center serving people with barriers to employment. The team builds cabinetry and prefabricated walls for the project.
"The unique thing about Hope Village is its built in our carpentry training center on our campus with participants who are graduates of our skilled training center.”
The option also keeps costs down in the $3.5 million project.
Future residents will pay rent while saving for a down payment on purchasing their own homes.
The Mel Trotter and Next Step team plan to complete the first ten units by the end of this year and are finalizing funding for the remaining six.
