This story is part of Southwest Michigan's Second Wave's series on solutions to affordable housing and housing the unhoused. It is made possible by a coalition of funders including Kalamazoo County, the city of Kalamazoo, the ENNA Foundation, and the Kalamazoo County Land Bank.
 
KALAMAZOO, MI -- It's something you’ll probably never hear from a leasing office: "You have to have a criminal record to qualify."
 
But that’s one of the qualifiers for the three new “tiny” houses that were showcased last week in Kalamazoo's Northside Neighborhood.
 
Each of the one-story houses – which have about 410 square feet of living space – was built to provide housing for individuals who are trying to improve their lives after being incarcerated or after recovering from substance abuse disorders.
Fran DwightKevin Crittenden, with scissors, was among staff members of Southwest Michigan First to attend the Dec. 12, 2024 open house of the HOPE Thru Navigation tiny houses. 
“It’s not that complicated of a process,” says Gwendolyn Hooker, chief executive officer and founder of HOPE Thru Navigation, which spearheaded the housing project on the southeast corner of North Street and Westnedge Avenue. “As long as they meet the criteria. The first three people who meet the criteria, they're going to be the first three people to move in.”
 
Those interested in leasing one of the “tiny” houses must have been in the criminal justice system at some point in their lifetime, have been clean of substance use for at least one year, and have to be working. They have to be able to pay rent, $420 per month. “Plus they’re responsible for utilities,” Hooker says.
 
About 85 people attended a Dec. 12, open-house and ribbon-cutting at the properties.
 
“We took 12 applications that day,” she says, “and we’ve gotten six or seven through the online process. So we’ve got a good handful of applications.”
 Fran DwightAubrey Flowers and Patrice Fuller enjoy a moment at the Dec. 12, 2024 open house of the HOPE Thru Navigation tiny houses.
A steering committee will review them and the nonprofit organization hopes to have people move in before the end of the year.

“It used to be nobody wanted to have a criminal background,” Hooker says, referring to applying to rent a house or apartment. Of prospective tiny house renters, she says, “Now people are saying they have a criminal background and may not necessarily have one.”
 
None of the checks that have traditionally prohibited people from finding a living space, such as their credit rating, is a concern of the organization. The other key qualifying factor is that they have a job that will allow them to pay the rent. 
Fran DwightExecutive Director Gwen Hooker greets James Ferguson at the Dec. 12, 2024 open house of the HOPE Thru Navigation tiny houses. 
HOPE Thru Navigation broke ground on the project on April 2, 2024, using a small plot of land it purchased from the City of Kalamazoo at the southeast corner of North Street and Westnedge Avenue. The development put back into use a small plot of land that the organization purchased from the City of Kalamazoo. Architectural firm Abonmarche Byce designed each of the houses to be energy-efficient and each was built with high-end finishes by Adam Garland Construction. 

Construction of an 800-square-foot "wrap-around" services building on the site may not begin until early next year. But Hooker hopes to see it completed by spring. It will house an onsite property manager and provide services to help renters find the resources they need as they integrate into the community. The building will be on a small patch of land in front of the three houses. 
 
The idea of building housing to serve HOPE Thru Navigation’s hard-to-place population arose in 2018. The tiny house concept was chosen as a cost-effective way to build affordable and energy-efficient housing. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for housing for people who have traditionally been rejected from many rental places.
Fran DwightHere is a look at HOPE Thru Navigation’s tiny houses, located at North Street and Westnedge Avenue. Each of the one-story houses have about 410 square feet of living space. 
“That’s the whole thing,” Hooker says. “We want to flip the script to where people that normally are at the bottom of the list because of their criminal background are actually going to be at the top of the list.”
 
More information about the Tiny Houses of HOPE is available by contacting HOPE Thru Navigation at (269) 775-1221 or visiting its website. 

Fran DwightTobi Hannah-Davies, of ISAAC housing task force and Housing Matters, was one of about 85 people on hand to celebrate at the open house for the tiny houses.

Fran DwightAbout 85 people attended the Dec. 12, 2024 open house of the HOPE Thru Navigation tiny houses.Fran DwightAbout 85 people attended the Dec. 12, 2024 open house of the HOPE Thru Navigation tiny houses.Fran DwightHere is a look at HOPE Thru Navigation’s tiny houses, located at North Street and Westnedge Avenue.
Fran DwightHere is a look at HOPE Thru Navigation’s tiny houses, located at North Street and Westnedge Avenue.
Fran DwightA peek out one of the windows of the HOPE Thru Navigation tiny houses.

Fran DwightEach of the one-story houses was built to provide housing for individuals trying to improve their lives after being incarcerated or after recovering from substance abuse disorders.

Previous stories on the Tiny Houses of HOPE from Second Wave

Three tiny houses on Kalamazoo's Northside are a huge step in efforts to build affordable housing

Building hope: The Tiny Houses of HOPE project gets underway in Kalamazoo

'Tiny' houses are set to be a big deal in Kalamazoo's Northside Neighborhood

Northside Tiny Houses of H.O.P.E. to help the homeless