CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A local nonprofit is planning to build a small community of tiny houses for women and children experiencing homelessness.
“It is a new ministry that is going to serve women and children coming out of broken places,” said Karen Powers, founder and president of Judy’s Hope. “We plan to build tiny houses for women and children to live in while they get their feet back under them. It’s a time for them to have a safe place.”
Powers said women and children will have a chance to reorient themselves spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. They will have time to figure out where they are going, and Judy’s Hope programs will help them manage their routines and live independently.
Judy’s Hope is named after Powers’ mother, who died about eight years ago. “She was a single mom raising three kids, we did have family support, but she wasn’t able to work because my sister was a paraplegic and needed so many surgeries,” Powers said.
“As I started thinking about what God was calling us to do, I was really missing my mom, a lot. Her strength and courage through those times, just battling it out and never giving up, that was her legacy that I wanted to share with others. So, I came up with the name Judy’s Hope,” Powers said.
The houses will be between 300 and 600 square feet, with the larger ones for women with children. The houses will be on permanent foundations, built in an open studio style. There will be a bed, a couch, a small kitchen and the bathroom. “It’s for women to have their own space so while they are in our community, they do have a door with a lock and their own walls,” Powers said.
The groundwork is underway on the 11-acre site on South Second Street across from Valleybrook Park, near the intersection of Crossland Avenue.
“That tract of land will allow us to start with our first phase of eight houses, we hope to then expand to 16, and at that point evaluate what we have, do we need eight more? We are able to build up to 24 houses there with the way the site is laid out,” Powers said.
Along with the houses, there are also plans for a community center where the residents can gather and have family-style meals. There will be a computer nook for writing resumes, job searching, and other work. A laundry room will also be available.
“We want the women to really be able to interact with each other and to be a true community. We also plan to have a community garden and a playground there as well,” Powers said.
Powers said Judy’s Hope has been receiving great community support, but work at the site has been slow mainly because of the weather. She added they are working on specifics involving their admittance program, along with their policy and procedures.
For more, including volunteer and donation opportunities, visit judyshope.org.
Giving Grace, sponsored by Grace Dental, is an ongoing Clarksville Now series showcasing local nonprofit organizations.