Eighth graders at Park Junior High, Annette Lee, Kyrsten Kim, Kaitlyn Choi, and Evelyn Lee, presented the Fullerton School District’s (FSD) Tiny Home Project at the Fullerton City Council meeting on May 7. 

The purpose of the tiny home project is to support under-housed families by providing them with the comfort of their own homes. Eventually, these families will be able to support themselves and create a stable life once again. In this way, we are making an effort to diminish the world’s and Fullerton’s problems with homelessness. They invited the public and city to join this endeavor and provide a new chance for Fullerton families in need. 

As the name implies, tiny homes are scaled-down houses typically under 600 square feet. They can be built on concrete or trailer foundations and are designed to house one to four people. Some benefits of tiny homes are environmentally and economically friendly conditions while providing the comforts and necessities of traditional housing. 

 The final location will be on the Orangethorpe campus near the Community Center. This location will support three tiny homes. The effort aims to be a turnkey home for an under-house FSD family. Currently, 191 FSD families are categorized as being under-housed or unhoused. Providing them with a home and a case manager will include helping find work, providing access to healthcare, and meeting essential needs. In the future, FSD wants to provide more for families by eventually creating communities of tiny homes right here in Fullerton.

The city has undergone a recent Housing and Community Development (HCD) lawsuit and must create and submit a housing plan by November 5th and modernized zoning codes. As part of the agreement, the city will need to adopt A plan to allow for the development of over 13,000 homes. More than 5000 people will need to be in low or very low-income homes. With help from the city, building more tiny homes can make housing more affordable, becoming an additional asset for the HCD requirements and maximizing surplus land around Fullerton while providing affordable homes. Tiny houses can support people struggling with homelessness and the city of Fullerton in numerous ways. 

“As the city leaders, it would make the entire process easier if you provided incentives for our builders and helped us expedite the building procedure. For example, you can help us secure grant funding. The Tiny House had to be built entirely with donations from the community. So, looking forward to next year, we need to secure even more donations, which you can provide to build our next tiny home. The four of us have been very fortunate with all the support, especially from Mr. Williams at OC United, Senator Newman, Mayor Dunlap, and former Mayor Silva, who were very helpful. Some of our strongest tiny home supporters have been the Fullerton Education Foundation, Phelps Foundation, and New Dimension Construction. Building a tiny home takes a lot of people and resources, so we invite you to join us. Our Fullerton district’s efforts for this cause can create an impact. However, with your efforts, we could make a lasting difference,” said one of the student representatives.