From each of the thirty small units at Thrive Grove in Thousand Oaks comes the whirring of an electric screwdriver, the gentle banging of a hammer, or the puzzled scratching of a head.
A team of volunteers is putting together Ikea furniture for this soon-to-open interim housing center.
"We are building furniture, we are staging the units, we're placing the beds, putting sheets on mattresses, assembling welcome kits and making sure that everything is ready for people's arrival," explained Dalit Shlapobersky from Many Mansions.
They’ve partnered on this tiny home village, which is the first homeless shelter in the Conejo Valley. It’s designed for a 3 to 6-month stay, and with the help of these volunteers, when they arrive, it will be ready to move in.
"Soon, very soon, it will be a home, even though a temporary home, for 30 individuals who are coming from homelessness, all of them coming from the encampments here in Thousand Oaks," said Shlapobersky.
Alyson Burgh is one of the volunteers. She said she wanted to support the community.
"I had a free morning, so I was happy to show up and volunteer my time and services to get this project ready for their open on May 7. I'm pretty handy. So it's just kind of getting the lay of the land. It takes a little while, but then once I kind of figure out the parts and the pieces, it's plain sailing," she said.
The furniture was donated by Ikea—but, obviously, it comes flat-packed! Mary Ann Barroso-Castanon is with Ikea.
"We just opened our store in Thousand Oaks, and as part of our store opening tradition, we'd like to partner with a local non-profit and really introduce IKEA into the community," explained Barroso-Castanon. "Many Mansions was the first one that we met with, and we fell in love with them. They thought they were doing great work, and we agree. I think it's a beautiful partnership."
Thrive Grove is one of several new tiny homes communities on the Central and South Coasts.
Jeff Gaddes is the Vice President of Programs and Partnerships for Dignity Moves, and he said that a development like this, with wrap-around services, is a game changer for those who are experiencing homelessness.
"You can't recover on the streets," said Gaddes. "That's where this starts—building these small units with the lock and key community support, and then they can find security, safety, sleep, and begin to sleep. Some of them haven't had a deep sleep in years. So it starts there. That's the trauma-informed approach to it. We really understood that the congregate model was a challenge, that they didn't want to go into those shelters, that they'd had bad experiences there before."
Gaddes continued. "The team that's here that provides those services [has] a trauma-informed approach. They meet them where they're at, bringing community members onto the site to help build the furniture, adopt a room...bring items to make the room more homey. It gives them a sense of connection to it. And it also really brings the people experiencing homelessness together with the community. Sometimes, it's] the first time that they feel really like they belong. And it's a belonging on both sides, right? It brings both people together in a space of sharing and understanding, and compassion."
Soon, the doors will open, and this community will provide those experiencing homelessness with the first important step towards permanent housing.
