Truly affordable permanent housing for those who need it most

Blossom Village

Blossom Village will be a permanent tiny home community for people currently experiencing homelessness or living in shelters in the Seattle area. Individuals or couples will live in tiny houses, each with it’s own restroom and kitchenette. But Blossom Village is not just about having a warm place to live, it will also be a supportive community with shared resources and shop space that can be used for income generation and creative expression, as well as to make everyday things that are needed in the village. Organic gardens will provide healthy food, free to residents, while excess produce will be sold and/or donated. Residents will have the opportunity to be involved in drawing visitors in with live entertainment, movies, fun events, great food, etc.

What makes Blossom Village Unique?

Creativity will play a major role in this project because we believe that if enough people with a variety of skills get involved we will be able to create almost anything that might be needed. There are many creative people who don’t have the space or resources to work on their chosen craft. There are also many people who would love to learn a craft but haven’t had the opportunity. To provide these opportunities, one major feature of Blossom Village will be a large shop with tools for working with a variety of mediums including wood, metal, glass, ceramics, and 3D printing using recycled materials. Experienced local crafters will be invited to use the tools and space in exchange for teaching their skills to residents who are interested in learning. Classes may also be made available to the public if there are teachers that are willing and shop time available.

Another feature of the village will be a community convenience store with a gallery for selling locally made items. Items displayed in the gallery may also be available for online purchase. Having commonly needed items available onsite is convenient and will reduce travel. The store will also provide income and job opportunities for Blossom Village residents.

Other community features will include indoor and outdoor cooking spaces, a shared laundry facility, flower gardens with benches, space for community events and recreation such as ping pong, yoga, dancing, musical events, movies, etc. Additional features could include bee hives, chickens, dog park, labyrinth… the possibilities are endless.

Design and construction of Blossom Village will rely heavily on volunteers, including future residents who are physically able. Please visit our “Meet the Team” page to learn how you can help and what items may be needed at this time.

Fundraising

The first fundraiser for Blossom Village will be a tiny home built on a trailer to be sold or entered in a raffle. This project will kick off in April if a building permit can be obtained by then. This home will be 24 ft by 8 ft overall with approximately 160 square feet of interior space plus a loft for sleeping. The trailer and framing system will be purchased from TM Frame Systems and look something like the images below (courtesy of TM Frame Systems) but with more windows and a few custom design features.

Custom design features will include:

1. Unique floor plan with closet for hanging clothes across from the washing machine

2. Larger bathroom with full-size bathtub

3. Table/countertop that folds down from the wall

4. Custom sectional couch with built-in storage that converts into a full-size guest bed

5. Pocket door for bathroom with custom latch

…These are the kinds of things I’ve been thinking about, designing, and tinkering on during quarantine : )

What kind of tiny house would YOU want??

There is still an important decision to be made. Should this tiny house be designed to be permanently installed on a foundation? Should it be designed for travel with RV hook-ups? Or should it be designed for off-grid living? Please take this ONE QUESTION SURVEY to help us make this important decision!

Nonprofit Status and Donations

A legal firm is helping to get us set up correctly as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. This takes time, but Blossom village will be able to accept donations soon. In the meantime, please consider supporting other efforts to provide permanent housing in this area. The Block Project is building tiny homes in the backyards of Seattle home owners who are willing to share their space and hospitality. The Block Project may also be building some of the future homes for Blossom Village, so in a way, supporting them supports Blossom Village. They’ve put countless hours into designing a tiny house that is sustainable and is built in sections by volunteers. The sections can be carried easily by two people and assembled on site with minimal tools. To learn more about The Block Project and support their efforts, please visit https://www.the-block-project.org

Inspiration

Blossom Village was inspired by, and will be very similar to, a village in Austin, Texas called Community First! To get an idea of what Blossom Village will look like, please check out their website at: https://mlf.org/community-first

Other inspirations found right here in the Northwest include:

• Emerald Village in Eugene, OR: https://www.squareonevillages.org/emerald

• HomesNOW! Not Later in Bellingham, WA: https://www.homesnow.org

• The BLOCK Project in Seattle, WA: https://www.the-block-project.org

There are many other wonderful people and organizations doing great work to help bring our neighbors in from the cold. I applaud all efforts to do so and hope that we can all work collaboratively rather than competitively. If you would like to get involved with this project or have fundraising ideas, questions, comments, etc., please get in touch using the contact form below.

How this project can inspire change

This project is intended to help those who need it most, but beyond that, I hope it will inspire people to join together in communities, growing/raising food and making things they need rather than buying them. This achieves several things:

1. reduces dependence on money for survival

2. reduces packaging waste

3. reduces fuel consumption from shipping or driving to stores to buy stuff

4. hand-made items can be made to last much longer than cheaply made mass-produced products

5. sharing tools and resources in a community makes it possible for more people to do creative and satisfying work

6. residents and visiting artists can collaborate on projects that are too big for one person

7. community living provides a support system, like an extended family, that looks out for each other