Fresno City Council approves construction of 26 tiny houses for unhoused people

At its Feb. 23 meeting, the Fresno City Council approved a grant of $964,482 in federal pandemic relief funds for the Poverello House to construct 26 tiny houses that will become permanent housing for unhoused people. 

This grant comes from State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, received as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. Once established, the houses will be developed in a cottage-home community that’s owned and managed by the Poverello House. 

The community will be located in Council District 5, with one potential location at Cedar Avenue and Heaton Avenue, per the project’s report. Although the exact location is undecided, the community will ultimately be placed on land owned by the city and leased to the Poverello House. 

What will the houses look like?

Each tiny house will be a minimum of 288 square feet in size and will include a living room, kitchen and bathroom. 

The living room will have space for one bed. Kitchens will include a refrigerator, stovetop and oven, or kitchen range. They also must have space for preparing, storing and serving food. Bathrooms will have a tub or shower, sink basin and flushing toilet. Houses will have appropriate heating and cooling as well as doors that lock.  One to two people can be housed in each unit. 

Am I eligible for a spot?

Eligibility for these houses will be determined through the Coordinated Entry System (CES), a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandated process that is designed to prioritize housing assistance based on an individual’s needs and preferences. The Poverello House has not yet determined the exact requirements to be eligible for a spot with this project.

The Poverello House is the management entity of the CES. Sara Mirhadi, Poverello House chief programs officer, said that, ultimately, the CES is “a uniform way to receive supportive and mainstream services.” 

The CES process first determines if you are eligible to receive services based on if you are actively homeless, at risk of soon becoming homeless, or attempting to escape domestic violence. 

You can use a variety of evidence to prove you are experiencing a housing crisis, including an eviction notice, a referral from a service provider or written documentation that you do not have the financial resources needed for permanent housing. 

Once you are identified as eligible for services, staff will work with you to determine and document your housing needs and preferences; then your needs will be prioritized based on vulnerability. Your needs will be compared to the eligibility requirements for various permanent and temporary supportive services offered. You will then be placed with available resources that are determined to be an appropriate match. 

You may begin the CES process at an access site. In Fresno, access sites are located at:

• Poverello House, 412 F St.
• Golden State Triage, 1415 W. Olive Ave.
• The Welcome Center, 2904 E. Belgravia Ave.
• Fresno EOC, 1046 T St.
• Marjaree Mason Center, 1600 M St.
• Clinica Sierra Vista, 302 Fresno St., Suite 106
• Fresno Home, 2550 W. Clinton Ave. Unit 213

A complete list of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care access sites can be found at fresnomaderahomeless.org.

You must be matched with this project through the CES, but beginning the CES process does not guarantee a spot. 

“There’s no way to go to an access site and say, ‘I want to be a part of that tiny home project,’” Mirhadi said. “You might be matched to several services at the same time and choose what the best fit for you is.”