As homelessness continues to rise — and housing solutions risk losing federal funding — major cities are working to figure out how to best develop affordable housing units for people facing housing insecurity.
Tiny home units, both for permanent and temporary housing, have become a popular fix, but a new development in the North Bay Area has residents doing double takes.
With sleek white exteriors that look akin to something you'd see in a sci-fi film, the pods — by Nessel Housing — are popping up for tours in Santa Rosa, California.
They’re what Homes 4 the Homeless CEO Steve Schneider calls “Space Capsule Housing.”
In reality, these pods are simply accessory dwelling units (or ADUs) that were originally designed by Vessel Homes in China as luxury “glamping” units, priced between $69,000 to $109,000.
But when Schneider found himself homeless after a devastating fire in 2017, he realized they could also be a solution for disaster relief and homelessness. That’s when he created Nessel Housing, a subsidiary of the nonprofit.
“After I lost my home in the Tubbs fires, we created the nonprofit for people like myself who [have] been through disasters,” Schneider told ABC7 News.
“I want to show affordable housing can exist in California and Sonoma County,” he added, saying that he wants to repurpose these vessels into 100% affordable housing.
“There are 6,000 voucher holders in Sonoma County alone,” he said. “Those people are forever renting.”
Schneider envisions a community of 130 space capsules on a six-acre parcel of land he has discovered in north Santa Rosa. According to ABC7, several Sonoma County supervisors support the space capsule housing initiative.
Weize Crediford and Angel Escobar from the organization West County Community Services Housing stopped by for a tour of one of the capsules.
“Anybody who’s been unhoused or had to struggle deserves something this special,” Crediford said.
“[It’s] honestly great,” Escobar added. “I hope to see more around the county to help with [the] housing crisis, to be honest.”
Though small, sitting at approximately 400-square-feet, the Nessel pods are made with recycled aircraft aluminum and a galvanized frame, reportedly engineered to “withstand Category 5 storm conditions.”
Durable for about 40 years of service, the homes are also equipped with eco-friendly characteristics, like solar power, battery backup, incinerator toilets, and water purification systems. They also have plenty of windows, which Schneider thinks makes the area appear much more spacious.
If privacy is an important matter, the drapes close over the windows with the touch of a button, and residents can have comfortable access to a galley kitchen and full bathroom, along with the living and sleeping areas.
With California recently passing legislation to allow the development of more residential ADUs, reduced taxes for affordable housing, and streamlined zoning and permitting for interim housing, these pods could be much closer than a galaxy far, far away.
“We want to create an ideal community using these so we can showcase to the world,” Schneider told ABC7.
“With vessel homes, the future of housing is not just a dream; it’s here,” a video about the invention states. “It’s sustainable, it’s affordable, it’s innovative. It’s a solution for the housing crisis and a beacon of hope for millions.”
Header image courtesy of Nessel Housing/Facebook
