California Pledges to Provide 1,200 ‘Tiny Homes’ for Unhoused Residents

Critics of the plan say the effort is a drop in the bucket in a state where tens of thousands of people experience homelessness every night.

2 minute read

March 21, 2023, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Chandler Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood, California

A resident checks in to the Chandler Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood, California. | Chandler Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood, California

“Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday his administration will provide 1,200 tiny homes to cities and counties around California in an effort to shelter unhoused people in the state, which has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation,” according to an article by Chris Nichols and Nicole Nixon for Cap Radio.

The quick-build shelters are viewed as a cost-effective temporary housing solution and have been adopted by some cities as one way to reduce the number of encampments on public property and connect unhoused residents with resources. “The governor said the tiny homes will cost approximately $30 million and would be set up ‘within months, not years,’ estimating they could be open by this fall.” But the authors point out that some ‘tiny home village’ projects in the state have seen delays and cost overruns.

Critics of the plan say it’s only a band-aid for a much larger problem, stemming in part from a lack of clarity about the responsibilities of state and local agencies. “How can local governments address growing homeless camps on state property, such as along freeways, when it’s not their jurisdiction? How can a city provide mental health or addiction treatment services when only county governments are funded to do so?”

To help agencies at different levels coordinate their efforts, “On Thursday morning, the California Association of Counties, CSAC, unveiled its AT HOME plan with the goal of defining those roles for all levels of government.” The plan, which would require state approval to become law, calls on local and state agencies to collaborate on clear definitions of their roles and jurisdictions.

Thursday, March 16, 2023 in Cap Radio

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

April 18 - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

April 18 - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

April 18 - Smart Cities Dive