Tiny home village coming to Richmond's Northside
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A tiny house village is in the works for two vacant, formerly city-owned lots on Northside.
Why it matters: The village would provide affordable housing for chronically homeless or low-income locals.
State of play: Earlier this week, City Council approved the sale of two lots off Chamberlayne Avenue, totaling around 5 acres, to nonprofit Eden Village of Richmond for $100.
- The group has been working with Missouri-based Eden Village to bring one of its tiny house villages to town since at least 2021, The Richmonder reports.
- There are three Eden Villages in the country and 10 more in the works, all following the Missouri organization's model.
Zoom in: The Richmond proposal calls for 30-40 tiny homes to be built at 1501 Fendall Ave., with some overflow and parking to rise on the adjacent lot at 1601 Fendall Ave, according to city documents.
- The villages are gated, and Richmond's will include a community center with social service offices, plus a laundromat, kitchen, dining hall, library and community store.
- Each home is around 400 square feet, comes furnished, and will have one bedroom, a bathroom and a front porch.
- Residents pay around $350 a month, which includes utilities.
Once the community is built, applications will be open to anyone making 30%-80% of the area median income.
- But preference will be given to applicants who have been unhoused for more than a year and who have a chronic illness, per the group's proposal to the city.
What's next: Fundraising for the village will probably begin soon, following the Missouri template.
- The development is expected to cost roughly $5.2 million, and Village of Richmond has around $120,000 on hand.