BOZEMAN – Bozeman’s HRDC has been working on finding affordable housing for the last year by creating a Housing First Village.
This village will house between 40-60 tiny homes. These homes ranging from 150 square feet will have a bed, full bathroom, kitchen and multiple storage areas.
Unlike most tiny homes, these houses will have water, heat, and electricity, allowing the houses to meet International Residential Code.
HRDC has been working with a MSU Architecture class who build these homes to earn credit for their class. They just recently finished the smaller of the two models, 145 square feet, and will build the larger 300 square foot model this summer.
“We have tried to be innovative. We have storage space up above the bed and the bathroom. There is a small kitchen, small countertop made by the students, concrete countertop made with glass shards in it,” said MSU Architecture Professor Ralph Johnson.
Most of the material to build the home was donated. The wood ceiling was made from recycled wood from MSU dorms.
Even though the first tiny home is built, the project still has a long way to go. HRDC worked with the city on an ordinance that was passed in April allowing HRDC to buy almost any type of zoned land to use for the village.
“So that was a big hurdle that we spent a lot of time on that we didn’t anticipate spending time on. Now I think outside of that you know there are not a lot of acres close within proximity of Bozeman,” said HRDC CEO Heather Grenier.
Grenier said HRDC is currently looking at different pieces of land and hopes to make a decision by the end of May or the beginning of June.
While HRDC searches for the next spot to build the village, a MSU student will live in a tiny home to monitor how much heat, water and electricity are used.
