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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland runner breaks record for Mount Shasta ascent ... Sanders endorses Clinton, saying he will do 'everything I can' to defeat Trump ... Grants Pass eyes urban renewal projects ... Ashland runner breaks record for Mount Shasta ascent ... Sanders endorses Clinton, saying he will do 'everything I can' to defeat Trump ... Grants Pass eyes urban renewal projects ... Tiny-house project takes a step forward Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 4:00 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 4:00 PM » Social News Tiny houses for the homeless got a thumbs up from Medford City Council Thursday despite concerns about investing $200,000 by nonprofits for a pilot project that might last only a year. The council agreed informally that the best location is likely at Front and Third streets and not an alternative location suggested at Spencer Street. “I have no problem leasing city land for a project like this that would be a benefit to the community,” Councilor Dick Gordon said. After some debate, the council agreed informally to proceed with drafting a lease agreement that would allow installation of tiny houses for the homeless on the city-owned lot. The agreement would be year-to-year, and the $1-a-year lease would come back to the council for formal approval. The council also asked staff to review other city-owned lots to see whether an alternative site might work better. Rogue Retreat, a nonprofit that works on homeless issues, has proposed building 12 to 14 tiny houses along with a guard house, kennel, garden and community room at Front and Third streets, a concept that has been opposed by some surrounding businesses. Hope Village is a collaboration of local nonprofits and is the first attempt to create a tiny-house project in Medford to give homeless people an alternative to living on the streets. The tiny houses, which are 8 by 10 feet, wouldn’t have plumbing or electricity but would be built with materials commonly found in most home construction. The tiny-house concept has been tried in Portland and Eugene, as well as other cities in the U.S. “Everything we put there is temporary and moveable,” said Rich Hansen of St. Vincent de Paul. “If it fails, we’ll pick up and leave. But we don’t think it will fail.” Hansen said tiny-house supporters anticipated getting only a one-year lease on the property from the city. But Councilor Michael Zarosinski said he had concerns about leasing the space to a single nonprofit without putting it out to bid. He also had concerns about what the city would do if the project failed after such a sizeable investment. “I’m very skeptical of the path we’re going down at this time,” he said. Councilor Clay Bearnson said the project appears to be a collaboration of various nonprofits that the city has dealt with over the years. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm . By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 4:00 PM » 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501