Regular access to a complete kitchen may not seem like a privilege, but for residents of the Nickelsville Tiny House Village in Northlake, it is. Residents find the kitchen to be somewhat functional. Fed up with these restrictions, they're working with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle to build a new, safer kitchen.
Since the village was established in 2018, residents have been making the most of the limited resources available to them within the kitchen. Within the village, there is a toaster oven, a microwave, three refrigerators, a freezer, storage containers that serve as cupboards, and several pots and pans. The makeshift kitchen sits under a large metal canopy with a mismatched tarp sewn over the top after it ripped in harsh weather conditions. The current arrangement means there is no insulation, with no walls or a functioning roof to keep residents warm as they cook their meals.
Nickelsville resident Deborah Lawrence Hale explained that she and other residents have to wear jackets and beanies when using the kitchen during the winter. Lawrence Hale said using an induction countertop cooktop is confusing because sometimes it won't turn on. She laughed as she recalled asking another resident how the burner worked, but that resident also had no idea how to operate it.
Lawrence Hale currently relies on eating microwaveable foods like sandwiches and Kraft mac & cheese, but as a senior citizen recently diagnosed with heart failure, those easily prepared meals sometimes don't provide the nutritional benefits she needs. Lawrence Hale first learned about the kitchen renovation when it was announced during a weekly resident meeting that the AIA Seattle Committee on the Homeless (COHO) had reached out to help improve the village. COHO is made up of architects who use their design skills to help Seattle's unhoused communities. The residents all agreed that the kitchen was a top priority.
“It would be nice to have cooking utensils.” [any] I now have time to make my favorite vegetable-based meals,” said Lawrence Hale. “Imagine having to walk through ice to get out here during the winter and having to wear a coat while eating. That's not ideal.”
Mark Becker, another Nickelsville resident, echoed much of Lawrence Hale's experience in the village kitchen. He said it's difficult to cook meat without a controlled environment. Windy weather does not allow you to cook to the end. It's also inconvenient to try to control the noise made while preparing meals once the curfew begins. Becker said that when people in small homes are close to the kitchen, they can hear all the noise, making it a chore to go to the kitchen in the middle of the night.
Becker, Lawrence Hale and many other residents see kitchen renovations as a way to improve their physical and mental health. Becker emphasized that the kitchen serves as more than just a place to prepare meals.
“Unless you're homeless, you have no idea,” Becker said. “It's not until you get out that you realize, 'Damn, I don't have anywhere else to go.' Think about how many lives you can improve here. There are 21 people living here. But a full-sized kitchen is not very luxurious. Without a comfortable place to call it, we're stuck in an 8-by-12 space every day.”
COHO presented three potential kitchen designs in December 2023, according to COHO member Lydia Fulton. Residents preferred a design with a larger dining area that could also be used as a shared space for community events, group meals, activities, meetings, and more.
Fulton explained that Nickelsville and other tiny home villages should not be built on the original model, which could deprive residents of necessities that many homeowners have unlimited access to. The approved renovations include removing the makeshift kitchen, building a wooden enclosure with windows and doors to keep the space warm, and adding a safety ramp. Two separate cooking areas will each feature a fully functioning stove, built-in sink, ample storage space, large countertops and a refrigerator.
Resident Michelle, who did not wish to give her last name due to safety concerns, said there was also an opportunity to renovate the kitchen's water system. The village relies heavily on solar power for washing machines, showers and bathrooms, but Michel says residents currently do not have a reliable supply of hot water due to inadequate solar power installations.
Fulton explained that a big hurdle for residents will ultimately be accumulating enough funds to make the kitchen a reality. Nickelsville residents and COHO need to raise $40,000. Michel said the tiny home village will need at least $4,000 to build a new water system for the kitchen. As of May 21, the group had raised $3,700. Fulton said Nickelsville residents are applying for grants issued by the city, and COHO has set up a crowdfunding page so people can donate.
Fulton said she appreciates the opportunity to directly contribute to and understand the housing and homelessness crisis. She said that while much of COHO's work focuses on policy, “Tiny Houses is also about bringing together the right kind of talent to build the right things for the Village.”
So far, COHO has leveraged its connections with organizations such as the Sound Foundation, BLOCK Project, and JAS Design Build to provide construction support and materials.
COHO co-chair Jackie Aiello said the committee hopes the renovation will serve as a prototype for other tiny house villages in the area where residents face similar challenges. She said this project is a starting point for other improvements. Helping residents feel more comfortable and safe in their homes. Aiello also believes the project highlights the limitations Nickelsville residents have with their current situation and draws attention to a larger issue that the city of Seattle is not prioritizing.
“[COHO] The City of Seattle is in the process of developing a new comprehensive plan, and one of the very big criticisms from AIA Seattle is that there isn't enough planned for the density and amount of housing the city needs.” said Aiello. “It’s not just an issue of affordable housing. It’s about housing in general, and whether demand, cost, [and] It allows landlords to exploit tenants and charge astronomical fees. That's what makes this city uninhabitable. ”
Aiello believes architects can further contribute to the policies being considered, such as Initiative 137, a measure to provide funding for the construction of public housing. She said that for her, creating quality housing for people transitioning into permanent housing must be the norm.
Aiello said the kitchen is expected to be completed by fall 2024. In the meantime, Nickelsville residents have big plans for when the kitchen is finished.
“In fact, we had never eaten together,” Lawrence Hale said. “Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone could sit around a table, listen to each other's stories, and just eat, making their own favorite dishes?”
Read more in the May 22-28, 2024 issue.
