It starts with the colorful front door that opens into the 416-square-foot home.
“The color of our doors is like our signature,” said Alaina Money Garman, CEO of Garman Homes. “It’s a small space, but it’s filled with thought and love, imagining someone better in this space.”
Welcome to Penny Lane’s Farm: More than just a cluster of tiny homes, it’s a community built on Mental Health Services near Pittsboro, North Carolina.
“Having a safe, affordable place to call home is incredibly important,” said Thaba Mahadevan, director of the nonprofit XDS (Cross Disability Services) and faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. To tell.
“For me, this is very personal. I am a refugee from Sri Lanka and one of the lucky survivors, but I have experienced housing insecurity,” Mahadevan said.
Partnering with UNC School of Social Work and homebuilder Garman Homes, Penny Lane Tiny House Farm was born as a pilot program to provide affordable housing for people suffering from mental illness.
Being homeless is a big risk for people suffering from mental illness. According to HUD, an average of 553,000 people in America become homeless every night. About 20% of them have a mental illness.
The village will welcome its first residents in September after the application process for Penny Lane Farm is completed.
“For about $300 a month, they get a lease, an annual lease, and they can live here as long as they want,” Mahadevan said.
Besides the 15 houses, they have mental health services, operate an organic farm, which is also part of the therapy offered, and produce crops for sale and for the residents who live here. ing.
There are also animal therapies such as Bunny Village.
“Using bunnies as a way to engage with clients is also a form of therapy,” Mahadevan said. “Sometimes clinging to a rabbit can make a big difference.”
But the star of the village is the house. Each construction cost him $50,000, which was covered by private donations. Garman Homes’ girlfriend Alaina Money-Garman said the house was built according to certain standards.
“The design of this home is actually based on research with Dr. Amy Wilson and the UNC School of Social Work,” she says, adding, “Her research on people with severe mental illness is about how the space It was telling us if we could contribute or how we could make an impact.” Stay away from someone’s mental health. “
With that in mind, some of the one-bedroom homes face the road, while others are parallel to the road, ensuring privacy.
The home has multiple windows that let in natural light. I was also particular about the placement of the island kitchen.
“We wanted to imagine residents inviting people into their homes. We know connection is part of healing,” Moneygerman said. “I hope this is the first of many projects in the housing sector that aim to make people meet and forget.”
The Penny Lane farm community will be studied by UNC’s School of Social Work to see how the project could be replicated across the country.
“We want to make sure we have metrics and data to support the work being done here,” Mahadevan said. “It’s one of our priorities for him to be able to consult and help other communities.”
