Riverside To Vote On 10 Tiny Houses That Could Be Used For Homeless

RIVERSIDE -- At least 10 people currently living on the street could move into one-bedroom cottages in downtown Riverside if the City Council approves a plan up for a vote Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Habitat for Humanity would develop 10 one-bedroom cottages, which it says would be ideal for one or two people now living on the streets, in a neighborhood of single-family homes on Mulberry Street.

“The idea behind ‘Housing First,’ the official plan in our city, is to get those currently living on the streets into a place they can call home, then surround them with the services needed to address benefits, health and wellness as well as mental health issues, education and job readiness so they can move into the next level,” wrote Habitat for Humanity’s executive director, Kathy Michalak, in a September letter.

In one sign of the increased density that officials say will be necessary to meet Southern California’s aggressive housing goals, the 0.48-acre property used to have three houses.

The project has letters of support from the Downtown Area Neighborhood Alliance, which represents the area where it would be located, and from an association just north of that neighborhood.

“With security and maintenance provisions, the site would not impinge on existing developments nor would it become a nuisance to the surrounding area,” wrote Pete Wohlgemuth, vice president of the Northside Improvement Association. “This type of housing concept puts Riverside at the forefront in solving the critical homelessness problem. This project has our unqualified support.”