by Glenn Maddox

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On September 12, Impact Disaster Response’s Tiny Home Initiative took its next big step forward with the first regional build of a new design that will be less expensive to build, easier to build quickly, and more functional for those who will eventually call them home. Sponsored by Bonsack Baptist, Melrose Baptist, and the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association, this tiny home project will allow volunteers from the area to serve together, to hone skills they can use in future disasters, and to produce a home that will be available to provide temporary or permanent housing for someone in need. The construction is happening in a side parking lot—easily visible from the street, with some of the materials laid out right in the yard.

When responding to disasters, two of the biggest challenges are responding when a home is damaged beyond repair and helping volunteers stay engaged in the periods between disasters (known as blue skies). When a home is damaged to the point that it is unsafe for volunteers to work in or has damage beyond anyone’s ability to rebuild, we have typically worked to find alternate housing options for the homeowners, often either through an organization like Mennonite Disaster Services building a new home or finding a manufactured home that someone will donate or sell. Tiny homes like the one kicked off in Roanoke will provide a home for displaced people and help volunteers stay engaged between disasters, which is key to response readiness.

“As we are working to bring disaster relief more to the forefront, especially in the way of training, we are hoping that this is only the first of many tiny homes constructed in the Roanoke region and that we can find a way to incorporate more hands-on training opportunities for other disciplines to accompany the builds,” said Kathy Williams, a member of Bonsack Baptist Church who is coordinating volunteers for this first build.

And along with the disaster use for tiny homes, we are already seeing interest in other applications.

One issue that has touched most communities is the challenge of affordable housing. Being such a widespread and costly problem, churches may feel there is little they can do to offer relief. This year Virginia passed the Faith in Housing Act, which has a federal corollary in the Federal Faith in Housing Act and allows religious organizations to develop previously owned property for the purpose of providing affordable housing in their communities. We have seen real interest in tiny homes on church property as one way for churches to offer affordable housing on their property. We have even had donors in two localities express interest in developing a tiny home village—one to provide housing specifically to teachers coming to serve in a community where they cannot otherwise afford to live, and another to offer housing in an area where there is not enough available housing for even the people who have grown up in the community.

Supporters of the Faith in Housing Act are promoting the initiative with the phrase “Yes, in God’s Backyard.” Whether the scope of the tiny home initiative stays limited to disasters or expands to other affordable housing opportunities, Impact Disaster Response is bringing the tiny home builds to BGAV’s backyard. Over the next few months, we will be recruiting host churches, sponsors, and site coordinators for a tiny home build in each of BGAV’s seven regions. The site at Bonsack will be an opportunity for those interested in hosting a build to see it in action and dream about how they can build a home in their community too. We believe this initiative will give volunteers a way to engage on a schedule, a way to catch the vision for future disaster responses, and a way to make a real impact on a need that has touched nearly every community in Virginia. Please pray for the work to be done and consider giving or serving at a build near you.

Learn more about Impact Missions' Tiny Home Initiative and stay up-to-date on the progress.

Rev. Glenn Maddox is BGAV’s national director for Impact Missions.

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