PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The encampment along the Ben Franklin parkway has turned up the heat on efforts to find more housing for the homeless that would comply with social distancing requirements.
"COVID has both exposed and exacerbated our problem with homelessness," said Stephanie Sena, founder and executive director of Student-Run Emergency Housing Unit of Philadelphia. She's also the force behind the effort to create a community of tiny houses in Philadelphia. In theory, they would be 255 square feet and paid for by private donations and sponsors.
"They're approximately $40,000-50,000. In those houses, there is a hookup to utilities, a bathroom, shower, and laundry, but it's very, very small," she explained.
"But they have everything needed to survive."
Sena has been working on this effort for a few years. After going on a tiny house world tour, she discovered one of the best builders is Liberation Tiny Homes in Lancaster. There's just one problem.
"Philadelphia doesn't allow tiny houses to be used residentially, according to our building code," she said.
So Sena went to the Department of Licenses and Inspections to get exemptions. This week, the result was positive. She even convinced several members of City Council to travel to Lancaster to tour the tiny homes.
"They all said, we want this to happen, we want this in our district," recalled Sena.
She believes the political climate, coupled with the pandemic, will push the vision for a tiny house community forward.
"I think that there's a new motivation to think creatively," she shared.
Sena added they're working around the clock to find a good location and expect movement in the next few months.
