The microhouse idea is catching on in California. Several city counsel members in San Jose want their city to follow in the footsteps of several Oregon towns who’ve constructed cheap, safe—extremely small—houses for local homeless community. Though the microhouses are less than 150 square feet and have no running water (bath room areas are shared), officials say they offer a safer and more sanitary option than tent communities or forcing the homeless to live on the street. Last year alone, four homeless people died from exposure during the winter months in San Jose.
Jenny Niklaus of the organization HomeFirst told the local CBS news station, “When you give somebody a key to their own door, their own house, that they can call their own that’s a victory … right now to afford an apartment in San Jose, you have to make more than $30 an hour. It’s stunning the gap between what people can afford and what is real. For people who are homeless, living on a subsidy, a place like a little home helps overcome those barriers.” The council members plan on presenting their microhouse proposal next week …
