Richmond opens tiny home village for unhoused young adults

By CBS Bay Area

RICHMOND — For years, Richmond had just one small homeless shelter dedicated to young adults, and its limited beds were shared among multiple cities.

Now, a new tiny home village is doubling the number of units available specifically for unhoused people ages 18 to 24.

The Richmond Tiny House Village held its grand opening this week, transforming what was once an empty lot into a community designed to provide young adults with housing, stability and job-training opportunities.

“It’s going to be a home for 12 youth,” said Delilah Borg, a Bay Area artist who volunteered her time to paint murals throughout the village.

The project is personal for Borg, who grew up in the East Bay and said she has experienced homelessness herself.

“It’s a full-circle moment,” she said.

Borg said she discovered the project by chance when she saw people painting wooden planks across the street from the site.

“I introduced myself to her as a local Bay Area artist. I wanted to know how I could help,” Borg said.

That introduction led her to Sally Hindman, who helped lead the effort as the nonprofit’s executive director. Hindman asked Borg to join the other young muralists working on the project.

“I love giving back,” Borg said.

Borg’s mural incorporates a young woman with the words “Dreams, Reality.” The images she painted represent education, housing, and what she calls the “stairs to success.” She said she wanted the artwork to encourage the young people who will live there to pursue their goals while building stable lives.

“I want them to pursue their education. I want them to understand that housing, and finding your own home, and being stable in your own home, is possible,” Borg said.

The village was led by the nonprofit Tiny Village Spirit and is operated by Hope Solutions. Architecture students from the University of San Francisco helped design the village, while community members contributed through an online crowdfunding campaign.

Organizers say the entire project cost less than $1 million, a small fraction of the cost of some other recent Bay Area shelter projects.

The need remains significant. Before the village opened, reporting on the Richmond Tiny House Project found that more than 100 unhoused young adults in Contra Costa County had access to just 13 units of emergency housing. The new village adds 12 more homes, where residents can stay for up to two years.

The site also includes a farm and garden where residents will be able to receive job training and learn urban gardening skills.

For Borg, the goal extends beyond simply providing a roof.

“Once they have this stability, and they’re not worried about sleeping on the street, or who’s gonna do this to me while I’m out here alone — they’re gonna feel safe enough to actually pursue their goals in life,” she said.

Her mural features a sunrise, which she says represents exactly that.

“The sunrise, just representing new beginnings,” Borg said.

The village plans to welcome its first residents in the coming weeks.