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Tiny homes for the homeless going up in Muncie

Posted at 11:46 PM, Jul 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-25 23:46:43-04

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Muncie's homeless community will soon have someplace to sleep with a roof and four walls.

A miniature housing initiative under construction by Bridges Community Services will soon begin allowing homeless tenants to move in to tiny houses.

It's a first of its kind in the state of Indiana.

PHOTOS | See a gallery of the tiny home community

The tiny homes began arriving Monday morning, and will take about a month to finish constructing. The six, 96-square-feet homes cost about $3,000 each.

Brandon May has been homeless and unemployed for about five months. Later this week he will get a new job at a factory. He says the humble quarters could help him get back on his feet.

"When you first walk in, when you are accustomed to a big house, you might think no … but when you think about sleeping under a bridge or a park bench, or sleeping in a car, this is way more than enough," May said.

The tiny homes will have electricity and heat. A separate community building will be constructed, containing a bathroom and shower facilities on one side and a kitchen facility on the other.

None of the homeless selected to live in the community will be hardened criminals.

"Everyone is vetted," said Bridges Community Services Inc. CEO Susie Kemp. "We do police checks on everyone who comes in. We do not serve any violent offenders. We do not serve any lifetime sex offender registry people."

The group will begin accepting applications for the homes on October 1. Move-in is set for November 1.