“It’s been wonderful to see how these homes have come out. They’re filled with dignity, respect, they’re beautiful inside.”
CEO of Grand Rapids-based Mel Trotter Ministries Chris Palusky says the micro-dwellings that make up Hope Village are already changing the lives of the city’s unhoused, including one resident who recently lived at the shelter.
“He said, ‘I want to say thank you’ and I was like, ‘Oh! For what? Like, tell me.’ And he said, 'I’m moving into one of the tiny homes and I’ve been staying at the shelter, and I just want to say thanks. It’s a wonderful opportunity and it’s a beautiful place.’”
The first tiny home was completed in August. Funding for the $2.8 million project has come from local, state, and federal funding as well as community donations.
Palusky says eight people are currently living at the village, and while residents can stay as long as they need to, he hopes it’s used as a step toward a better life.
“My hope is they would stay for a couple years. We’re working on a program to help people save money and then we’d hope that either they be able to go into home ownership or move into a larger apartment.”
The remaining six homes are expected to be completed by Christmas.
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