Lisa Rowe: Tiny houses a start in ending homelessness

The Oct. 11 features article “Tiny houses for Raleigh’s homeless” highlighted a recent design competition of the North Carolina Chapter of the A.I.A.

Proposing tiny homes of 144 square feet for people experiencing homelessness is not without controversy. However, I applaud the Activate14 committee for using an approach called “design activism” which “seeks to address social issues through public dialogue.” Community-wide dialogue is much needed on this subject.

Wake County public schools reported more than 2,700 homeless children in the school system last year. Add preschoolers and the result is an estimated 4,000 children experiencing homelessness next year – a 23 percent increase since 2009.

The trauma of childhood homelessness is profound both in the short term with negative impacts on physical and mental health, academic achievement and food security, and in the long term with links to poverty and homelessness in adulthood. The human treasure we risk losing as a community calls for collaboration and innovation.

The “tiny homes” debate can spark a robust public dialogue that leverages the expertise not only of architects but also advocates, policymakers, developers, engineers and others who share a commitment to ending homelessness in our community. Let’s keep the conversation going.

This story was originally published October 23, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Lisa Rowe: Tiny houses a start in ending homelessness."