In an empty lot near the Oakland Coliseum, a fence of “blessings” is going up in a mélange of bright 2-by-4s painted all colors of the rainbow, with words like “peace,” “love” and “justice” adorning them.
The fence is the border of a new compound of tiny houses that, come January, will provide shelter for 22 homeless youth ages 18 to 25. It was created by the young people of Youth Spirit Artworks, a Berkeley-based art and job training program, and built with the help of an interfaith coalition that includes Congregations Beth El, Beth Israel and Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, Temples Beth Abraham and Sinai in Oakland, Kehilla Community Synagogue in Piedmont, Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, and organizations including Berkeley Hillel and Repair the World.
“Two thousand volunteers built a tiny-house village!” said YSA executive director Sally Hindman. “And many of them were from the Jewish community.”
Each of the 26 homes in the tiny-house village is about 70 square feet, with a living area, a Murphy bed and a closet, all mounted on a trailer. The village also will have communal kitchen and bathroom facilities, plus four on-site managers in addition to the 22 residents.
“This is like an urban kibbutz,” Hindman said.
CLICK HERE to read the entire Jewish News of Northern California article.