Though it’s a fortunate life event, not all of us can say we have a stable job with fair compensation and place to call home. For some, “home” is where they lay their head at night, whether that location changes day-to-day or week-to-week. Even so, there are few comforts greater than returning from work to make your own meal in peace, take a relaxing bath or shower before bedtime.
Most of us wish for a comfortable life, but homeless people don’t have that luxury.
The number of homeless people has been increasing rapidly in recent years, not only in the United States but globally.
A study conducted in 2017 found that “There are an estimated 553,742 people in the United States experiencing homelessness on a given night, according to the most recent national point-in-time estimate (January 2017). This represents a rate of approximately 17 people experiencing homelessness per every 10,000 people in the general population.”
Although the government has multiple programs to help the homeless, more needs to be done in order to take every homeless person off of the streets. Although these efforts have helped many people, there are still others who are waiting for their chance to have a comfortable home.
Debbie O’Malley has always dreamed of helping people living on the streets, and she’s finally made her vision a reality by building tiny homes for them.
Bernie is the Bernalillo County Commissioner. Since 2016, she has been working to build a tiny community for homeless people.
Nowadays, more and more people are falling in love with the idea of living in a tiny home. Not only are they typically made out of sustainable materials, but their small size allows for energy conservation. Plus, they’re usually pretty affordable too! Building a tiny home is significantly cheaper than building a conventional one, and people often choose to do so because it allows them to live without having to pay for a mortgage.
After years of having this plan, Debbie finally sees it come to fruition with the opening of her tiny home community for homeless people. The small homes are complete with necessities and built on an unused lot; they are now accepting residents.
The rent for these tiny homes will only be $30 a month. It is our hope that the project will be completed by June of this year.
According to Debbie, the tiny community became a success because of support from her hardworking neighbors. See, back in 2016 when voters had to approve the $2 million bond spent on helping the homeless; some people wanted to deny the cause.
The company chose to help the homeless, thankfully.
Debbie stated, “I hope that people see the story and they see what’s happening and they’re like, ‘You know what, we could support something like this in our community.’”
The world could definitely use more individuals like Debbie, who go above and beyond to help others selflessly. Nevertheless, it’s essential to keep in mind that lending a helping hand doesn’t always require money. Sometimes, all somebody needs is another opportunity.
