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Workshop participants to build tiny house David Pierce, left, Karen Logan and Luis Regalado, load up supplies for a tiny house demonstration at Economy Plywood in Medford on Wednesday. Daily Tidings / Jamie Lusch Wednesday Nov 9, 2016 at 8:47 PM Nov 9, 2016 at 8:47 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Legally, it’s called a shed. It’s only 8 by 8 feet, but you can live in it. You can construct the shell in a few days for $1,500, then insulate and outfit it as you wish. These tiny homes can be planted on the ground or put on trailers. They are heated with electric units. They can shelter un-housed people — the homeless — by parking the homes in church parking lots and other locations and providing a porta-potty – and that’s what’s probably going to happen to the tiny Home that’s being built over this weekend at a workshop at Jackson Wellsprings, which you can attend for $30 a day, Saturday and/or Sunday. The cool thing about this tiny home is that it’s already been designed and often built as the basic home plan for Opportunity Village in Eugene — and its designer, Alex Daniel, will be the teacher, assisted by Karen Logan of Ashland. They’ve given many intro lectures on the smart shelter at Ashland Public Library and, as Angel House Project, are forming their board in Ashland — and also in Medford, whose city council will consider a Hope Village this month. “This is a system similar to Eugene’s,” says Logan. “They have 10,000 hours doing this and teaching volunteers to build homes. We’re taking applications of volunteers (to build). This will be our first house.” The house won’t be insulated, but the community and churches will be invited to caretake it, insulate it, furnish it with power and try it out in their parking lot, she says. Usually, when a person is chosen to live in it, it tends to prioritize for a single mom with a child. “Anyone interested in building tiny homes or creating more affordable housing should come to the workshop,” she says, adding that “tiny living” is a big adjustment and one of their classes is entitled, “Are you ready for tiny house living?”  The organization is a nonprofit and tuition fees will go toward materials. The group soon will build a “luxury model” of the tiny home, on a trailer, for churches to try out, says Logan. Several organizations have already suggested people to live in the unit. “We recommend people who’ve formerly been in the homeless community. Ashland Resource Center has recommended several. There is no lack of people here who would like to be housed,” Logan said. The Angel House board forming now includes a retired San Diego police officer with lots of experience in the homeless community, she says. The template for an Opportunity Village here is based on building transitional housing that won’t be owned by its occupant, she says. “It’s up to the people who sponsor the house how they use it and if they allow adopted people to stay longer.”  The group plans to give more talks at the library and has given away many sets of plans for building the homes. The plans and contact information are also available by request by emailing [email protected] and online at http://tinyhouseworkshop.eventbrite.com. Logan may be phoned at 541-708-3557. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].