A Big Idea in Small Spaces
Forming a tiny house community through the Causeway Fellowship.
“If I just had more _______, I could solve this problem.”
Through Causeway’s work with social entrepreneurs over the last few years, we’ve gotten well acquainted with the obstacles that hold a good idea back. Fill in the blank–more money, more connections, more expertise. But we’ve noticed that so many of these point back to the issue of time. It’s hard to find time to build relationships, do research and test an idea in addition to a day-job and other commitments. Causeway’s mission is to inspire and equip Chattanoogans to solve some of our city’s toughest challenges, and we know that takes time.
We wondered, what happens when we take away that barrier, and give dedicated people the time and space they need to charge ahead with a big idea? In January, Causeway launched a year-long fellowship program. Our two fellows, Jeremy Weaver and Josiah Golson, are part of Causeway’s full-time staff. They have desks in our workspace, a voice in our staff meetings, and chores on our chore list. But, their sole focus for the year is to get a project up and running that will make a big impact in Chattanooga.
Learn a little more about what Jeremy Weaver has up his sleeve, and come get more acquainted at the Open (tiny) House on Friday, April 22nd from 4:00–7:00 on the Walnut Street Bridge!
I grew up just outside of Detroit, but have called Chattanooga home for almost 10 years now. I fell in love with Chattanooga for a lot of the same reasons I am proud to be from Detroit. Both cities are rising from the ashes of their past. Both have industrial roots, with a pedigree of grit and innovation that can only come from generations of people getting their hands dirty.
For the past year I have lived in a 276 square foot tiny house with my wife and our dog and have been building custom tiny homes for clients that have been shipped all over the country. The tiny house movement has grown out of the same brand of determination and creative thinking that Chattanooga is known for. It has grown out of people wanting to control their destiny rather than be controlled by their finances, people that value experiences over possessions, people that want to live intentionally. These are things I value on a deep level and things that my wife and I have experienced since downsizing our lives. To this end, I am working with Causeway on a tiny house community to be located in urban Chattanooga.
Chattanooga’s recent growth has been incredibly beneficial on so many levels, but with positive development comes unintentional consequences. The development that is bringing new businesses and opportunities to this city at an unprecedented rate is also creating an unaffordable living situation for many people who would like to call downtown home and have access to the opportunities afforded by that proximity. Research completed by the Westside Community Association working with Dr. Courtney Knapp in 2012 and presented to city council by COA, found that 53.5% of all renters and 46.6% of mortgage holders in Chattanooga’s urban core were living in housing considered unaffordable relative to their income by HUD standards. With these numbers holding steady through 2015, this alarming trend is not headed in a positive direction.
Tiny houses and tiny house communities are emerging as a practical and grassroots solution to this problem. Currently there are zoning challenges across the country that need to be solved in order to fully harness the potential these micro structures have as an affordable living alternative. The innovation and determination woven into the fabric of Chattanooga that attracted me to this city 10 years ago make it the ideal location to lead this charge and pioneer a first-of-its-kind tiny house pocket neighborhood. One that promotes intentionality, diversity, and a brave spirit; a place that embodies everything that makes Chattanooga a big deal, only smaller.
