An Oregon Rotary Club is Building a Reputation as Tiny Home Builders

When the topic of homelessness comes up in Medford, OR, most people in town think of Hope Village, a Medford transitional living site run by the shelter and housing group Rogue Retreat. Hope Village has 34 tiny houses already. Each one is designed to pair up with another house, forming miniature duplexes.

They’re not professional home builders, but volunteers from the Medford Rogue Rotary Club are putting the finishing touches on four tiny houses for homeless people to be added to Hope Village.

“For us non-contractor-type people, this was a big project,” club member Rick Clark said Thursday as those around him painted trim and siding, cut wood and drilled front porch floorboards into place. “We’re all hackers and do-it-yourselfers at home.”

Rotary members started building the four tiny houses back in February without knowing exactly how long it would take.

One of the most amazing things about these four homes is the expertise these backyard builders bring to the project. They’re building them with people in mind instead of just having a factory build them where these four homes would have just part of the production line.

The amateurs have had some help from the pros.

Andy Batzer of Medford-based construction company JB Steel drew up plans for the tiny houses. Bill Thorndike of Medford Fabrication donated the use of a warehouse-sized building so the volunteers could build while protected from the weather. The building comes equipped with a crane the volunteers used to lift roofing materials into place.

To make sure the roofs don’t leak, a pro is installing flashing to direct water away from joints.

Companies donated materials or provided discounts, and the volunteers pitched in some of their own supplies along with their time.

All the cooperation means the Rotary club has spent about $20,000 to build all four tiny houses, rather than the $90,000 to $100,000 it would normally cost, Clark said.

Each house is well insulated and comes with wiring so a person living there can run a heater. Solar panels power the low energy-use basics such as lights and cellphone charging. A loft provides storage, and windows in the small living room/bedroom area let in the sunlight.

The tiny houses don’t have bathrooms or kitchens, but Hope Village has shared facilities for cooking, bathrooms, showering, and laundry.