When you’re down on your luck, $500 worth of building materials and a few helping hands may be enough to turn your life around.
That is what one Los Angeles woman is finding now that she is living in a tiny house, which is a far cry from what she had before. Irene McGee, 60, had previously been homeless for 10 years, according to ABC News. Then, she met a local resident named Elvis Summers, 38, who was willing to lend a helping hand.
Summers learned of McGee’s story when she stopped by to collect recyclables from him. McGee had been homeless since the death of her husband in 2004, which resulted in the loss of her house. Familiar with the “Tiny House Movement,” Summers sprung into action. He went to his local hardware store and bought $500 worth of goods to create a tiny house for McGee. Within five days, she was living in a new space and saying goodbye to her previous home, a cardboard box.
Summers specified that the city has accepted the tiny house he’s built for McGee, and it won’t break any laws as long as it’s moved every 72 hours.
The “Tiny House Movement” has been sweeping across the country as more Americans look to downsize to save money and reduce their carbon footprints. The typical American house is about 2,600 square feet, and the average tiny house is only up to 400 feet, according to The Tiny House. However, their size doesn’t take away from their “home sweet home” atmosphere. These houses come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and their owners find them easier to financially sustain over time.
Since creating the home for McGee, Summers has created an organization called Starting Human, and he’s raising money on GoFundMe. He hopes to work with the city to create more housing options for the homeless population.
