Two tiny homes stood on the lawn of the state Capitol this week. They look similar to camping trailers; they’re even on wheels. These models are already in use in some California cities like Santa Barbara.
Lara Ohanesian is a project manager for Boss Cubez, the company that made these homes. She gave tours of a furnished room.
“It has a bed, a twin-sized bed, a desk with a chair, some shelving and some storage for a resident, and the most important — it has a locking door,” she said.
The room is one-half of a two-unit trailer, each with 70 square feet of space, an air conditioner and outlets for charging electronic devices.
The inside of a Boss Cubez tiny home appears in Sacramento, Calif. in August 2024.Megan Myscofski/CapRadio
Housing and homelessness are top of mind as California lawmakers wrap up their 2024 legislative session. Democratic Senator Josh Becker is sponsoring a bill to create more shelter options for people experiencing homelessness, like these tiny homes.
“Once you’re in one place, we can get you services. Imagine trying to get someone services, and you don’t know where they’re going to be,” he said.
Democratic Senator Josh Becker speaks at an event supporting his Interim Housing Act at the California state Capitol on Aug. 8, 2024.Megan Myscofski/CapRadio
A recent study from the National Institutes of Health found that alternatives to congregate shelters, like tiny homes, tend to result in more people finding permanent housing.
This is one of many bills still on the table in this last month of the legislative session. Others aim to encourage more building of affordable housing — like making changes to construction fees, addressing high rental application fees, and providing guaranteed income to unhoused students.
Lawmakers have until the end of the month to send these bills to the Governor.
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