How tiny homes could solve housing problems in Chapel Hill

Expensive housing contributes to cycles of poverty in every region of our state, industry observers say. But a group of Chapel Hill advocates believe tiny homes could be a big solution for the housing crisis.

Pee Wee Homes Collaborative has a vision of an entire Chapel Hill neighborhood occupied by tiny houses.

“It’s a concept that provides affordable housing to people that would otherwise be homeless," said Lisa Fischbeck, chairwoman of the Pee Wee Homes Collaborative.

Fischbeck said the city has a unique housing crisis because students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rent the more affordable homes, which leaves other city residents struggling to find housing in the price ranges.

“They often are the people who have worked hard in this community for years, but then they can’t afford to live here," Fischbeck said.

One lot would be in Chapel Hill's Northside neighborhood and the other on the 15-acre campus at The Episcopal Church of the Advocate.

“Not only is it less than 400 square feet, not only is it independent living, but it is also independent living with a community of support around it," Fischbeck said.

By 2016, with grants from the Town of Chapel Hill and donations from UNC business school students, they raised nearly $100,000 to build the structures.

Now, those tiny homes are almost complete. But Fischbeck and Pee Wee Homes hope the movement doesn't end there.

"We’re hoping that it will spread across North Carolina and beyond," Fischbeck said.

Next year, each of these doors will be open to new residents. Fischbeck said the new tiny homes will give residents a big chance at a brighter future.

To qualify for a PeeWee Homes house, residents have to make less than $1,000 a month. Each homeowner will pay between $250 and $350 each month for rent.