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New nonprofit completes first tiny house Leo Gorcey inside an "Angel House" at Jackson Wellsprings. Photo by Julie Akins Wednesday Dec 14, 2016 at 8:34 PM Dec 14, 2016 at 8:59 PM By Julie Akins For the Tidings What began as a vision for tiny houses in Ashland is now underway with one house built and another planned for February.  The roughly 80-square-foot home with beamed ceilings and four windows was built by a volunteer crew in a week’s time. “They’re excited because they don’t have to wait for government to step in. They built the house at a workshop,” said Leo Gorcey, who is part of the Ashland-based Angel House Project.  The Angel House Project is a local nonprofit which has the goal of creating 50 tiny homes which can be positioned on one piece of land or scattered around the city of Ashland to accommodate those in need. The cost for the first house was roughly $2,500 dollars, according to Karen Logan, who is a founder of the Angel House Project.  It’s basic. Plywood floors, exposed beams, no electricity or water. It will sit on a trailer so it’s not technically a home but a mobile home, which means it does not have to have the same level of scrutiny a house on a foundation would need.  The first home will remain on the Jackson Wellsprings property on Valley View Road just north of Ashland. The other homes they plan to build do not yet have locations where they will be sited. The group hopes to see the city of Ashland donate a parcel for several tiny homes, such as Hope Village recently established in Medford with 14 tiny homes, and Opportunity Village in Eugene. The founder of the Eugene project, Alex Daniel, helped create the first tiny house the group built and is scheduled to lead the next workshop in February, when another tiny home will be built.  Logan describes the process as one of building necessary housing for the rising population of people who are priced out of a safe place to sleep “It’s a core thing we’ve lost,” he said. Homeless people and contractors worked side-by-side to create the home. “We wanted the community to build, having people support each other," Logan said. "We want to do it from the bottom up.”  Gorcey said 30 to 40 people helped with the project before it was complete and even now it’s not yet where they want it. The group hopes to create an interior with a small loft for sleeping and a way to heat and light the interior, according to Logan.  When it’s complete they will offer it to a person in need. “We’re looking for a mom and a kid,” said Logan of the possible residents. They’re in an interview process to select the person or people who will be offered the home. But first they feel committed to creating a process around the housing to assist the resident in job skills and any mental health care they may need. “This one is meant to be transitional housing.”  But the group has bigger ambitions. “I could see in the future creating homes for people to stay in longer or permanently,” said Gorcey.  Logan describes a possibility for their tiny home project becoming a model for home ownership. “We could even create a system where people could get a loan for $35-40,000 and make their own homes and put it on property. This would be a way for people to own a home who could not otherwise,” said Logan about the long-term future. But as of right now they are building a house at a time, trying to gain traction for funding and community engagement. “The angel is the energy of caring. It goes to compassion.”  The Angel House Project is currently fundraising. They are opening up their tiny house to one night occupancy and hoping people will be willing to get sponsors for their stay and share their experience as a way to promote the work they’re doing. “We’re having people support each other," said Logan. For more information, go to www.angelhouseproject.com. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/@julieakins.