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HOUSING Tiny house proponents in Medford are thinking big Overnight challenge looks for people to spend a night in a tiny house Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 5:57 PM Updated Feb 18, 2016 at 11:43 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 5:57 PM Updated Feb 18, 2016 at 11:43 AM » Social News A tiny house on display in the parking lot of Set Free Christian Fellowship on West Main Street has inspired some big ideas. “We had a bunch of homeless people looking at it the other day,” said Debi McComas with Set Free. “They were dreaming about what they could do with it and how they would fix it up inside.” Before the homeless get a chance to live in it, the tiny green house will be on display in March at the Rogue Valley Mall parking lot near the corner of McAndrews Road and Riverside Avenue, and community members are being signed up to stay overnight, making do without electricity, water or a TV. Only a cot and chair will be made available, along with a portable potty outside. The Hope Village overnight challenge will be held throughout the month of March. More information is available at www.hopevill.org or at Rogue Retreat, 541-499-0880 (number corrected from previous version) . The one-room, 8-by-10-foot unit with three windows, a door, a loft and a small porch is the model for 15 tiny houses planned in a half-acre lot in Medford that will provide a safe place for people to stay and store their belongings — and to call home. “The great thing is they will have a key,” McComas said. Homeless advocates say they hope the village will help homeless people, many of whom suffer from mental problems, gain a greater sense of security and get them off the streets. Tiny houses aren’t a new concept. Eugene and other cities have embraced the idea. The Hope Village project is a collaboration between the Jackson County Homeless Task Force and Rogue Retreat, which is negotiating for a half-acre property in Medford at an as-yet-undisclosed location. McComas said she and her husband, Chad, plan to spend the night in the tiny house during March. They are trying to find other community members who want to showcase the tiny house living experience. Chad McComas, pastor at Set Free and a member of the homeless task force, said the cost to build the model tiny house for Hope Village was $4,000, but said he expects it should be far less once more community partners are involved and more units are built at the same time. Heather Everett, chairwoman of the homeless task force, said the overnight challenge should raise awareness of the homeless issue confronting Jackson County. “The goal is to raise funds to purchase the property,” she said. Everett said she will be looking for local churches and businesses that want to host the tiny house for a week during March. Inside the mall, a kiosk will be created to explain the tiny house idea, Everett said. A possible mock-up of the 15-house village is being contemplated. Rich Hansen, who is on the homeless task force, said the proposed village will have a strict drug and alcohol policy. “There will be no fighting or obnoxious behavior,” he said. One of the first tasks the village will deal with is electing a leadership council to help run the village and settle disputes, Hansen said. Michael LaConte with the homeless task force has struggled with homelessness since he was 19, but he said he hopes to be one of those chosen to live in Hope Village. LaConte said residents will have to abide by strict policies to live in the units, and bad behavior will not be accepted. “If it’s something that keeps happening, they will have to leave,” he said. Jim Huber, Medford planning director, said he’s been in discussions with the homeless task force. Until he has a firm idea of the location and its zoning, he said it would be difficult to say whether the proposed use could be allowed. Huber said he will meet with Homeless Task Force members in about a week to continue discussing the proposal. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 5:57 PM Updated Feb 18, 2016 at 11:43 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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