Quixote Village is a two-acre tiny house community for homeless adults in Olympia, Washington.
Quixote Village | |
|---|---|
  Quixote Village | |
| Coordinates: 47°01′33″N 122°56′35″W / 47.02572°N 122.94314°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Thurston County |
| City | Olympia |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Website | HATC Quixote Village |
History
editThe village started as Quixote Camp, a small, nomadic tent camp in 2007. It had been relocated more than 20 times.[1] In 2011, $1.5 million was designated for the construction of a tiny house village for homeless adults by the Washington State Legislature. A 2.1-acre lot was selected in an office district between Mottman Road and Black Lake Meadows Reserve.[2] The overall development budget was $3,050,000.[3] In December 2013, Quixote Village was established. Thurston County leases the land to Quixote Village for $1 a year.[1]
In 2015, the community won a silver medal Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.[3]
In 2022, each building was outfitted with solar panels. 206 panels were installed for a total output of 66 kilowatts.[4] It was estimated to cost $150,000, but with the benefit of saving approximately $551,000 in energy consumption over a 40-year span.[5]
Organization and layout
editQuixote Village has elections for leadership positions, and requires residents to follow certain rules.[1] They are aided by a nonprofit board which serves as the legal landlord.[6] The village is staffed by a full-time project manager and a social worker. Annual operating costs for the village are $250,000, which is approximately $8,333 per resident.[7]
A planning committee of architects, designers, and camp residents worked on the layout of the village. Houses were to be placed in a horseshoe layout instead of clusters to prevent in-grouping, and residents stated that they preferred having an exterior porch to a larger interior space.[1] Quixote Village has thirty 144-square foot houses. It cost approximately $88,000 per unit. There is a central open space and a communal building which houses a kitchen, a shower and laundry room, administrative offices, and a meeting space.[6]
To qualify for occupancy, applicants must be "single individuals who are chronically homeless at time of application and who may benefit from case management services."[8] Residents must pay one-third of their income towards rent.[9]
See also
edit- Opportunity Village, a similar initiative in Eugene, Oregon
References
edit- ^ a b c d Tortorello, Michael (19 February 2014). "Small World, Big Idea". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Siahaan, Fanny (January 2023). Implementation Of Cohousing In The Micro Village "Quixote Village" In Olympia, Washington. Department of Architecture, Universitas Kristen Indonesia. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Quixote Village Provides Housing for the Homeless". Rudy Bruner Award. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Vinson, Ty (20 November 2022). "Solar panels installed on Quixote Village tiny homes will save nonprofit thousands per year". The Olympian. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Javier, Kristine (10 November 2021). "Olympia discusses solar-electric system for Quixote Village". The Journal of Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ a b Blahut, Chelsea (10 June 2015). "Quixote Village: MSGS Architects". Architect Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Brown, Lisa (10 December 2018). "Quixote Village: From tent city to tiny home village: Five-year report to the Washington State Legislature on costs and outcomes" (PDF). commerce.wa.gov. State of Washington Department of Commerce. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ "Quixote Village". Housing Authority of Thurston County. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Hobbs, Andy (28 December 2013). "Tent city inhabitants get permanent housing at Quixote Village". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 7 August 2024.