After a slow start, the future home of the Ballard Nickelsville camp in the Northlake neighborhood is taking shape.
A few dozen volunteers organized by the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) pitched in today, helping put the first tiny houses into position and providing finishing work. The houses are assembled off-site — in volunteers’ driveways, churches and a college campus — and shipped to the site at 3814 4th Ave. NE.
Brad Gerber from LIHI told My Ballard that the site should be ready by mid-March for the Ballard Nicklesville camp to move. The camp was planning to move in November, but the land — which is owned by the city — was not ready. Since then a house was demolished, and workers filled and leveled the site with rock and gravel.
Organizers expect to have 20 tiny houses on the site along with electricity and running water (which the Ballard location does not offer), including toilets and showers. The homes will be decorated with welcome signs inside.
About 25 people will move over from Ballard, and another 5 will join them for a total of 30 residents, Gerber said.
LIHI is holding another work party at the Northlake site next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you’re interested in helping, please RSVP first on the LIHI website.