We Care Community Services is planning to erect a “micro-transitional house” to provide temporary housing for homeless people in Rhea County until they are able to support themselves.
The agency is seeking community help -- donations, material and expertise. The home will replace the former shelter, the Haven House, which Dayton Housing Authority, a long-time partner, took back in January to meet increased demand for homes for its clients.
The shell of the 168-square-foot home was donated to We Care; it’s fully furnished, with a loft area for sleeping. The home, to be erected near We Care’s main office, can accommodate one or two people. To be made habitable it will require $5,000 to $8,000 in cash and gifts of equipment, time and talent, said officials.
The project will be supervised by Alton Steen, who recently became general manager of We Care after a long career in construction and business. The donations are needed for several purposes, including grading, plumbing, sheetrock, insulation and flooring.
Mr. Steen said the plan is to add a screened-in porch and a deck to the structure. The home is very small, but as transitional housing it is meant to encourage a person to build resources and then move to larger housing and be more self-supporting. Mr. Steen said We Care hopes to build more of these small homes and make the program self-sustaining by renting some of the structures to underwrite the cost of the others.
To donate, send to We Care Community Services, 1273 Dayton Mountain Hwy., Post Office Box 307, Dayton, TN 37321. For more details, call 775-4333.
Here’s a list of what is needed:
1. Prep site: site clearing and grading, foundation in-support piers, etc
2. Relocate micro house to site location
3. Install sewer line
4. Install water line
5. Bring electrical power to site
6. Rough in micro house: electrical, plumbing, HVAC
7. Install insulation
8. Install drywall
9. Install flooring
10. Install appliances and cabinets
11. Close in front open area, install front door.
12. Add Deck, New porch