Tiny Houses for the Homeless
Donation protected
Introduction
ARKcentric incorporated as a Texas not-for-profit organization in August 2017 as a platform to engage our community in addressing the critical needs for basic shelter, security, restoration, and jobs for community members experiencing chronic homelessness and deep poverty.
ARKcentric, Inc. is building a platform which creates everyday opportunities for ordinary citizens to perform acts of random kindness (from which we created our name) bringing real relief and life-changing restoration to people who are chronically homelessness. We have two major objectives:
a) Empowering people who are chronically homelessness to envision a new future for themselves and to aim for the highest good they can be. We will do this by offering them a safe place to live, employment, and the resources they need to work towards their own vision of a thriving life.
b) Introducing opportunities where everyone benefits from each other’s acts of random kindness directed at people who are chronically homelessness. Relief and restoration require money. But more than that, it requires people believing they can make a real difference in someone else’s life by putting their own gifts and talents to work.
What Sets Us Apart
First of all, we will not accept any money from government agencies either directly or indirectly. Government money comes with too many restrictions. We believe that helping the chronic homeless is the personal responsibility of every member of a community.
Secondly, we believe the only way to permanent and lasting change is through a Christ-centered program where both people helping and people being helped will grow in their faith and daily walk with Jesus Christ. Experiencing the brokenness of others helps us to see the things in our own lives which are broken and need healing and restoration through even a mustard seed size faith in Jesus Christ.
The Opportunity
On any given day in San Angelo, 5000 people are living in deep and persistent poverty (sheltered homeless) and 50 to 60 people who are chronically homeless and living on the streets (unsheltered).
Deep Poverty is a Monthly Income at or below 15% area median income (AMI).
It breaks my heart when I meet a chronically homeless working single mother struggling to survive on less than $644 a month or a chronically homeless family with a three-year-old child living in their car. These and so many more are our neighbors in San Angelo.
Emotional fragility, untreated mental illness, addictions, lack of assets, poor social skills, poor work skills, or traumatic past histories undermine their well-being and ability to move forward in their lives. Combine these with lack of sufficient housing, inadequate life skills, and underemployment (or unemployment), they are faced with an almost insurmountable challenge. Most of them have already given up hope and frequently reject the notion that you and I are able to help them.
Our Solution
Providing housing and support to chronically homeless individuals and families who earn 15% or less than the area median income ($9,720/yr) defines our understanding and strategies for our program.
Affordable – rent is based on 25% of a household’s income but never more than $1.15 per square feet with a month-to-month lease regardless of their initial temporary ability to pay rent.
Permanent – We have removed all barriers to entry and all time limits on their length of stay if they honestly want to change and are willing to work towards that change.
Supportive - supportive services that will assist a chronic homeless person or family to adjust to their new life–even if it takes years. We will create a cooperative neighborhood environment that promotes interdependent community living. Case management is provided by Peer Support Specialists who live on-site.
Housing
Phase One -Get chronically homeless single men and women off the streets and into a tiny 200 sq. ft. tiny house in a resident managed village environment. The cabins are designed as sleeping and personal storage units with electricity for lights and a wall-mount heating/air-conditioning unit. A common house built on the property will give residents 24x7 access to restrooms, showers, laundry, and a dining facility.
Phase One Funding - $75,000
Your donation today will allow us to:
- Purchase and develop two acres of land.
- Build 16 tiny houses and the common house.
- Pay our one full-time staff worker (outreach/oversight) a small monthly salary.
- Purchase promotional items (posters, stickers, t-shirts, and hats) to help get the word out about what we are doing.
Phase Two - Build single-family detached homes in clusters called pocket neighborhoods. The compact physical design of the homes and the pocket neighborhood foster increased interaction between residents by incorporating common facilities, including a community center (common house), pedestrian walkways, recreational area, community garden and open spaces.
We will start Phase Two only after we prove we can deliver on our Phase One promises to our chronically homeless neighbors and to you.
Please consider making your best donation today and let’s do this together.
You can make sure ARKcentric has the resources necessary to win in the struggles the chronically homeless are currently facing and to take on the challenges we know are ahead.
Thank you,
Rev. Scott L. Heiser
Founder/Director
ARKcentric, Inc.
ARKcentric incorporated as a Texas not-for-profit organization in August 2017 as a platform to engage our community in addressing the critical needs for basic shelter, security, restoration, and jobs for community members experiencing chronic homelessness and deep poverty.
ARKcentric, Inc. is building a platform which creates everyday opportunities for ordinary citizens to perform acts of random kindness (from which we created our name) bringing real relief and life-changing restoration to people who are chronically homelessness. We have two major objectives:
a) Empowering people who are chronically homelessness to envision a new future for themselves and to aim for the highest good they can be. We will do this by offering them a safe place to live, employment, and the resources they need to work towards their own vision of a thriving life.
b) Introducing opportunities where everyone benefits from each other’s acts of random kindness directed at people who are chronically homelessness. Relief and restoration require money. But more than that, it requires people believing they can make a real difference in someone else’s life by putting their own gifts and talents to work.
What Sets Us Apart
First of all, we will not accept any money from government agencies either directly or indirectly. Government money comes with too many restrictions. We believe that helping the chronic homeless is the personal responsibility of every member of a community.
Secondly, we believe the only way to permanent and lasting change is through a Christ-centered program where both people helping and people being helped will grow in their faith and daily walk with Jesus Christ. Experiencing the brokenness of others helps us to see the things in our own lives which are broken and need healing and restoration through even a mustard seed size faith in Jesus Christ.
The Opportunity
On any given day in San Angelo, 5000 people are living in deep and persistent poverty (sheltered homeless) and 50 to 60 people who are chronically homeless and living on the streets (unsheltered).
Deep Poverty is a Monthly Income at or below 15% area median income (AMI).
It breaks my heart when I meet a chronically homeless working single mother struggling to survive on less than $644 a month or a chronically homeless family with a three-year-old child living in their car. These and so many more are our neighbors in San Angelo.
Emotional fragility, untreated mental illness, addictions, lack of assets, poor social skills, poor work skills, or traumatic past histories undermine their well-being and ability to move forward in their lives. Combine these with lack of sufficient housing, inadequate life skills, and underemployment (or unemployment), they are faced with an almost insurmountable challenge. Most of them have already given up hope and frequently reject the notion that you and I are able to help them.
Our Solution
Providing housing and support to chronically homeless individuals and families who earn 15% or less than the area median income ($9,720/yr) defines our understanding and strategies for our program.
Affordable – rent is based on 25% of a household’s income but never more than $1.15 per square feet with a month-to-month lease regardless of their initial temporary ability to pay rent.
Permanent – We have removed all barriers to entry and all time limits on their length of stay if they honestly want to change and are willing to work towards that change.
Supportive - supportive services that will assist a chronic homeless person or family to adjust to their new life–even if it takes years. We will create a cooperative neighborhood environment that promotes interdependent community living. Case management is provided by Peer Support Specialists who live on-site.
Housing
Phase One -Get chronically homeless single men and women off the streets and into a tiny 200 sq. ft. tiny house in a resident managed village environment. The cabins are designed as sleeping and personal storage units with electricity for lights and a wall-mount heating/air-conditioning unit. A common house built on the property will give residents 24x7 access to restrooms, showers, laundry, and a dining facility.
Phase One Funding - $75,000
Your donation today will allow us to:
- Purchase and develop two acres of land.
- Build 16 tiny houses and the common house.
- Pay our one full-time staff worker (outreach/oversight) a small monthly salary.
- Purchase promotional items (posters, stickers, t-shirts, and hats) to help get the word out about what we are doing.
Phase Two - Build single-family detached homes in clusters called pocket neighborhoods. The compact physical design of the homes and the pocket neighborhood foster increased interaction between residents by incorporating common facilities, including a community center (common house), pedestrian walkways, recreational area, community garden and open spaces.
We will start Phase Two only after we prove we can deliver on our Phase One promises to our chronically homeless neighbors and to you.
Please consider making your best donation today and let’s do this together.
You can make sure ARKcentric has the resources necessary to win in the struggles the chronically homeless are currently facing and to take on the challenges we know are ahead.
Thank you,
Rev. Scott L. Heiser
Founder/Director
ARKcentric, Inc.
Organizer
Scott Heiser
Organizer
San Angelo, TX
