Facing Homelessness puts tiny homes in Seattle backyards and keeps ownership itself

In an October 2021 Fast Company article, a Seattle household let a nonprofit build a tiny home in its backyard four years earlier, and helped a man who had been homeless for a decade move in rent-free. Eleven other homeowners followed in a growing program called the Block Project. Architect Rex Hohlbein launched the nonprofit Facing Homelessness in 2013, then with his daughter, architect Jenn LaFreniere, came up with the idea of asking residents to share their backyards.

The city already had zoning laws permitting accessory dwelling units, and its planning department helped make the process simple. The 125-square-foot houses have a kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area and porch, and follow the Living Building Challenge sustainability standards, with solar power and rainwater capture. Hohlbein says he wanted the home to be the most forward home on the block.

Facing Homelessness checks that a yard meets permitting requirements and interviews the homeowners. To avoid raising the homeowners' property tax, the nonprofit retains ownership of the tiny house and leases part of the backyard for free in five-year stints. Case managers from the referring agency keep working with residents, and homeowners are asked only to be good neighbors.

Backyards already exist and cost the program no land purchase.

An existing accessory-unit zoning rule removed the main legal hurdle.

Nonprofit ownership of the house keeps the homeowner's tax bill unchanged.

Case managers keep supporting residents, so homeowners need only be neighbors.

Find the dormant asset (here, spare backyard land plus an existing zoning rule) and structure ownership so the donor pays no penalty.

The article says 11 other homeowners had joined, calling the program small but growing. It notes it is not intended for everyone: someone with severe mental health issues would be better served in a setting with more services.