Episode 12: The Tiny House Solution: Challenging the Status Quo To Advance Health, Employment, and the Eradication of Homelessness

YIMBY Nation (Yes, In My Back Yard)

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Bringing about positive public policy change requires knowledge, insight, and above all, commitment. Our guest today, Michele "Dr. Tiny" Williams, has had a varied career that spans the military, real estate, and public policy. While conducting research for her recent Ph.D. in Public Policy, she examined the relationship between health and housing, the results of which had a huge impact on the latter half of her career. After realizing the substantial role that geography played in health outcomes, Michele recognized that your zip code shouldn’t determine your lifespan. Her experience during a bike adventure that involved helping communities fix their homes further catalyzed Michele to become involved in housing and public policy. Since then, she has made it her mission to transform public housing and address the systemic inefficiencies that are putting countless people in a position where they face homelessness or risk making dire compromises. She is the chief visionary behind COBA US, a non-profit organization that seeks to establish policy development, with a focus on tiny house communities and affordable rentals. Michele is also the Executive Director of The Fuller Center of Housing in Delaware. In our conversation today, Michele delves into the many elements of her work, including the extensive policy work she’s done over the past few years, the benefits and drawbacks of tiny homes, and how to listen to the needs of the communities you work with before taking action. To learn more about Michele and how these organizations are challenging the status quo, be sure to tune in to this inspiring conversation!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Michele’s varied career in the military, entrepreneurship, and real estate.
• How Michele earned her Ph.D. in public policy and her interest in health and housing.
• The non-profit, COBA US, and how it was founded as a result of a bike adventure.
• Michele’s connection to Habitat for Humanity.
• Some of the problems that can arise from partnering with government entities.
• COBA US’s relationship with government officials and why they don’t do any lobbying.
• How COBA US engages with their communities and corporations.
• The extensive policy work that Michele has been occupied with over the past three years.
• The current reach of COBA US and how they are looking to expand.
• An overview of the tiny house movement.
• The drawbacks and benefits of owning a tiny home.
• Michele’s book recommendations for anyone interested in Tiny Homes, a history of housing in America, and more.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dirt to Keys website - Soon to launch

Michele A. Williams on LinkedIn

Michele A. Williams Email

The Tiny House Alliance USA

COBA US Info Sheet

The Habitat for Humanity

YIMBY Delaware

Vincencia Adusei on LinkedIn

Vincencia Adusei on Twitter

VASE Construction

Jimmy Miller on LinkedIn

Censere Consulting

Peter Wood on LinkedIn

YIMBY Nation Email