Frequently Asked Questions about the Tiny Home Village

To ask a question and/or receive more information, please call (505) 468-1355 or email tinyhomevillage@bernco.gov.

It is a harsh fact that many people remain sleeping on the streets despite the array of available outreach and provider programs.

An ad-hoc working group of volunteers met for over a year to engage in some preliminary thinking about what a tiny home village might look like in Albuquerque. The project’s proposal did not offer unconditional housing. Instead, the project’s proposal offers a holistic housing intervention that will prioritize safe and dignified housing within a supported single-site community setting, and providing autonomy for the villagers and their reintegration into broader society.

In November 2016, voters approved a $2 million general obligation bond to fund the development of the tiny home village project. And, in November 2018, voters approved a $750,000 general obligation bond to fund the development of a community building for the tiny home village project.

See a listing of the 2018 General Obligation Bond Funding Project Summaries here.

The goals for the Bernalillo County Tiny Home Village are:

Provide dignified, safe, stable and attractive transitional housing for people currently experiencing homelessness.

Incorporate housing, services and employment to stabilize residents and help them regain self-sufficiency.

Provide a safe space for those waiting for traditional affordable housing to become available.

Add deliberate and supported community-building, self-development, and provide life and work skills.

Provide support for employment.

The Tiny Home Village Project is a collaboration between Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley and City of Albuquerque Councilors Diane Gibson and Pat Davis.

Tiny Homes Village Brochure (March 2020)

General Project Information

Status | Construction

Project Engineer | Blaine Carter, P.E.

Estimated Design Cost | $180,841.65

Design Start | March 2019

Anticipated Project Completion | December 2020

Design Consultant | Baker Architecture + Design, P.C.

Construction | Early 2020 to Winter 2020

Estimated Construction Cost | $3,326,360

Construction Contractor | Epic Mountain Construction

How to Donate to the Tiny Home Village Project

Financial donations are being accepted to support the basic needs of the village and its residents. Your online monetary donation will help to welcome home and establish a village resident from the moment they arrive in the village.

Donations of all amounts are welcome and will be applied and/or combined for maximum benefit for the village residents, as needed.

Bernalillo County has contracted with the Albuquerque Indian Center to manage the Tiny Home Village and to provide resources to the unhoused community. Please visit the Albuquerque Indian Center at https://abqindiancenter.org/ to make your one-time or subscription tax-deductible donation.

Timeline of Project Actions

August 2020 | Tiny Homes Construction Progress

Anticipated completion of construction is December 2020.

May 2020 | Building of ‘Tiny Homes’ Underway

The building of the 30 ‘tiny homes’ for the Tiny Home Village began on Saturday, May 30. Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters Local 1319 are volunteering their time and expertise to construct the units. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) for the walls and roof were custom-produced for the tiny homes. The SIPs are more energy-efficient than traditional construction and have a long-term durability.

The estimated cost savings to the project because of the carpenters’ volunteer work is about $125,000.

Construction for the Tiny Home Village project is expected to be completed by November 2020. All of the structures will be built to last a minimum of 15 years with a life expectancy of 30-plus years.

The Tiny Home Village total project cost is $4.34 million. The Tiny Home Village will consist of 30 individual 120 sq. ft. homes and a centrally located common building that includes the kitchen, dining, living area and bathrooms. Each tiny home will have a bed, desk and storage space as well as electricity. The benefit of the shared common areas is that it helps to foster socialization and reconnection to others.

April 2020 | Construction on Schedule

The project is on schedule for a timely completion at the end of this October.

General construction activities happening now are the piping of underground utilities, foundations being poured, and the construction of building’s stem walls. For the Village House, the main communal building, and satellite restrooms construction activities include plumbing and electric rough-ins, the foundation being poured, framing getting started, on-going interior plumbing and electric.

Discussions are beginning for the public art installation that will be part of the project site.

January 2020 | Construction Begins

Notice to proceed effective Jan. 21, 2020. The construction contractor is Epic Mountain Construction.

September 2019 | Requests for Construction Bids Announced

Bernalillo County is soliciting bids from general contractors for construction services for the Tiny Home Village and the Albuquerque Indian Center Project.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 at 10 a.m. at the Albuquerque Indian Center, 105 Texas St. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108. Attendance at the pre-bid meeting is a prerequisite for submission of a bid.

Sealed bids must be addressed to the attention of the Purchasing Section, Bernalillo County, Public Works Division, 2400 Broadway Blvd. SE, Building N, Front Desk, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102 and received no later than 2 p.m. (local time) Oct. 22, 2019, at which time a public opening and reading of bids received will begin.

For more information about submitting a bid, please visit http://www.bernco.gov/general-services/request-for-bids.aspx.

July 2019 | Finalizing Site Design and Developing Construction Documents

June 2019 | Lease and Operating Agreements Approved

On June 25, 2019, the County Commissioners approved the lease and operating agreements with the Albuquerque Indian Center for the Tiny Home Village. The agreement approvals bring the transitional housing project one-step closer to fruition, the first of its kind in Bernalillo County.

“People experiencing homelessness is a growing problem in Bernalillo County and the Tiny Home Village will provide a safe and secure housing opportunity for those individuals in need,” says Commission Vice Chair Debbie O’Malley. “This project will also help to stabilize and positively impact the neighborhood in which it resides. I would like to thank the surrounding residents and churches, and the advocates and elected representatives who whole-heartedly supported this project and helped to make it possible.”

The lease with the Albuquerque Indian Center is for a total of $ 811,361 for a period of 30 years effective Oct. 1, 2019, with an option for extension for an additional 30 years.

The operating agreement is for five years for a total of $1.1 million. The operating agreement will allow for the day-to-day operations of the Tiny Home Village. The Albuquerque Indian Center has a 19-year history of providing services to those experiencing poverty and homelessness including meals, counseling, drug and alcohol rehab, and job readiness. Renderings of the Tiny Home Village Site

April 2019 | Zone Map Amendment Approved

The zone map amendment was approved by the Albuquerque Environmental Planning Commission on April 11, 2019. The Tiny Home Village site design is currently in progress and will be finalized soon.

October-November 2018 | Site Location Selected

Albuquerque Indian Center, 105 Texas St. SE, has been selected as the site for the Tiny Home Village. After seeing all of the news coverage about the Tiny Home Village and the attention given to it by the community at the public meetings, the Albuquerque Indian Center came forward and approached Bernalillo County with a solution. The Albuquerque Indian Center offered the one-acre vacant land behind their center as a possible location for the Tiny Home Village.

August 2018 | Community Meetings and Potential Sites Announced for Tiny Home Village

On Aug. 2, 2018, Bernalillo County, in collaboration with the City of Albuquerque and community advocates, announced six potential sites to build a tiny home village and now it is time for the community to help make the final decision.

“A couple of years ago, the community came to us and asked for help to address the homelessness that is all around our city,” states Commissioner Debbie O’Malley. “Today, we are responding to the public’s plea for help by proposing a tiny home village, a transitional housing option that will be one more resource in the community to help end homelessness.”

More than 30 sites have been suggested to Bernalillo County for the first tiny home village in the Albuquerque community. Carefully developed criteria helped narrow down the list to the following:

8207 Central Ave. NW (Central & Unser)

202-230 Louisiana Blvd. NE (Louisiana & Domingo)

7600 Southern Ave. SE (Southern & Española)

540 Paisano St. NE (Juan Tabo & Paisano)

12900 Central Ave. SE (Central & Western Skies)

12910 Central Ave. SE (Central & Western Skies)

No final decision has been made on a site, and consideration may be given to other sites if they are put forward.

“A collaborative effort including the community, the Veterans Integration Center, and a number of other organizations that provide services and resources to homeless individuals will make this project a reality,” states Commissioner James E. Smith. “We strongly encourage the community to attend one of the public meetings that will begin next week to learn more about this much-needed project.”

Members of the public are invited to attend one of three scheduled public meetings beginning next week to learn more about the tiny home village project and the proposed locations.

Community meetings dates, times and locations:

Thursday, Aug. 9, 6 p.m., Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, 501 Elizabeth St. SE

Thursday, Aug. 16, 6 p.m., African American Performing Arts Center, 310 San Pedro Dr. NE (Fairgrounds)

Saturday, Aug. 18, 10 a.m., Patrick J. Baca Library, 8081 Central Ave. NW

A website, www.tinyhomes4bc.com, will be launched on Aug. 8 that will have information and the ability to accept public comment on each of the proposed sites.

“In contrast to other housing projects that serve individuals who have acute needs, the proposed tiny home village would provide housing for those who are ready for more independent living and who are more inclined to take on skills-building and employment opportunities,” says Albuquerque City Councilor Diane Gibson.

The concept for the Tiny Home Village is as follows:

The village will be gated, completely self-contained and actively managed with oversight from Bernalillo County.

The village will consist of small homes constructed on chassis for cost-efficiency and portability.

Each home will have heating and cooling, electricity, a bed, storage, a desk and a chair.

Communal buildings will include restrooms, a kitchen, a laundry and meeting/training spaces.

The village will be designed for single adults or couples and veterans, with most residents expected to live there for approximately two years.

Residents will be carefully screened, and required to follow strict rules as well as contribute to the community monetarily and through assigned duties.

The village will provide life and work skills, support for employment and possibly a microenterprise.

After taking public comment into consideration, cost and other factors, a site will be selected. BernCo will work with nearby neighborhoods to develop a site plan and construction timetable.

November 2017 | Andrew Heben Visits BernCo

Jan. - April 2017 | Community Meetings

April 3

February 2

January 19

Handout

Presentation

Summary of Small Group Discussions Handout

To view a slideshow of the meeting, click on the image to the right.

Nov. 2016 | Tiny Home Village Announcement News Conference

What does it mean to be "chronically homeless? Click here.

Watch a video of the Tiny Home Village Forum with Debbie Johnson, founder and CEO of TenderLove Community Centre.

Thanks to Mike Swick of Available Media for recording the event.

Want to learn about Tiny Home Village Projects in other parts of the country? Click on the links below.