PICKENS COUNTY, SC (WSPA) – The Dream Center of Pickens County is thinking big, by building small. The organization is building 23 “tiny homes” for people who are homeless.

Executive Director Chris Wilson says it will be the first homeless shelter in Pickens County. Last year, the Dream Center helped nearly 150 people who were homeless.

“We see so many people day in and day out and we don’t have a shelter to send them to and while we’re wanting to help focus on getting them back on their feet, we spend a lot of time just trying to figure out where they’re going to lay their head,” Wilson said of the need in the area.

The “tiny homes” will make up a community called Opportunity Village. People who live there will receive help with job placement, training, and personal development. Wilson says they want for people to learn to turn their lives around.

“Our goal is to take people who are receiving assistance and transform them into people who are giving back in their community and just spreading what they have learned to other people,” Wilson explained.

Local high school students will help with the construction. Wilson says the work should be finished for residents to move in by the end of the year.