Nonprofit organization Pivot is providing low-rent tiny homes to homeless teens—and equipping them with the skills to transition to new apartments.
Earlier this month, youth assistance group Pivot celebrated the opening of three tiny homes on a 12-acre plot in Oklahoma City. Move-in day took place last weekend, with select teens who were already working within the program receiving coaching on becoming responsible renters. It started with a review of the lease agreement.
“If you haven’t had that mentored to you, you need to learn,” says Melanie Anthony, vice president of development and community engagement at Pivot. The young people she works with lack the resources to learn basic skills, and need help navigating the trials of adult life.
Teens moved into the first three tiny homes this weekend at Pivot’s Tiny Home Community in Oklahoma City. The 12-acre property has room enough for a total of 85 homes, and there’s a waiting list for when the next units are built.
Courtesy of Pivot
After the deals were inked, each teen settled into their very own 280-square-foot, fully furnished home where they are now responsible for their own cooking, cleaning, and day-to-day maintenance. They’ll learn the tenets of neighborliness, and will have routine check-ins with 24/7 on-site support to keep them on track towards a healthy school or work/life balance.
“The whole purpose of this is to show them that they can overcome and that they have those resources, but do it in a way that’s empowering and not enabling,” says Anthony.
Each tiny home comes fully stocked and furnished to make for a smooth transition for each individual.
Courtesy of Pivot
The first three homes’ designs were donated by Oklahoma architect William Silk.
Courtesy of Pivot
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Tiny Home Campus for Homeless Youth Opens in Oklahoma City
