The Green House: A Sustainable, Youth-Built Tiny House for Seattle’s Homeless

At the foot of a hillside dotted with blue-tarped tents and amidst some salmon-pink “sleeping structures” proudly stands one tiny house, glinting green from its street-sign siding at Seattle’s Nickelsville Homeless Community. It’s the only insulated structure at the camp, but that’s not its defining feature; this little house was built by a group of high school students through non-profit carpentry program Sawhorse Revolution in Seattle, WA.

Sawhorse Revolution teaches diverse teens the basics of carpentry and construction by building needed projects for the community. Nickelsville is one of Seattle’s long-term homeless camps and currently provides shelter and security for about 40 people experiencing homelessness.

This tiny house is built of standard 2×4 framing with space above for a loft. Dubbed “The Green House,” this structure sports a host of recycled materials. The siding is made of salvaged Seattle street signs and aluminum panels from a Department of Transportation project, while the entire house rests on industrial plastic pallets, to make forklifting the structure easier.

And of course, it can be an amazing educational opportunity for students. Learning to build a home from beginning to end is a rare opportunity for teens these days, and Sawhorse Revolution is thrilled to support youth trades education, better living conditions for the homeless, and more. Students for this project came from the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, and engaged in this project as a way to learn essential job skills. The project was led by professional builder Matthew Rhodes of Seattle-based company Rhodes Creations.

Sawhorse Revolution is currently fundraising for six more projects in collaboration with the Nickelsville Homeless Community in Seattle. You can donate here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/impossible-city-a-youth-built-homeless-village/x/10071319