Community College opens tiny home construction program at CTEC like that on the Verde Campus

The Tiny Home Project: An Overview and Historical Context

Uncertainties Surrounding the Project: The Tiny Home Project, which involves students constructing miniscule houses intended for rent by staff, faculty, and students, still has several unresolved issues. Key questions include the final location of these homes and the total number that the College plans to eventually construct. While it is believed there will be six or seven homes located at the Chino Valley Center, it is not all that clear based on the information provided the District Governing Board from October 2022 to November 2023.

Historical Records of the Project:

October 2022 – College Shares Ideas with Governing Board: In October 2022, Yavapai Community College’s administration first introduced the concept of students building tiny homes for the college community. During a discussion, Third District Representative Paul Chevalier inquired whether the construction would occur on both sides of the mountain, to which the administration affirmed.

May 2023 – Interview with Phoenix Channel Three Television: Dr. Clint Ewell, in a May 2023 interview with Phoenix’s Channel Three news, shifted the focus to primarily using these small houses for students. He highlighted a key issue: “Our recruiting pools have been getting smaller, which we believe is due to the high cost of living in Yavapai County, currently about 20% above the national average.” During this segment, Dr. Ewell expressed hope that a 200-square-foot house, built by students, would attract more enrollees. He noted, “Many students have told us they accepted our program but later withdrew due to the lack of affordable housing.”

According to the Channel Three report, the initial goal is to have three tiny homes available for rent by students at the Chino Valley Center by Spring 2024. However, this objective became uncertain following a housing report presented at the November 2023 Governing Board meeting.

November 2023 – Governing Board Meeting: At the District Governing Board meeting in November 2023, Dr. Ewell informed the Trustees that construction of tiny houses was underway by students at both the Verde Campus and the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) at the Prescott Airport. He estimated, “By the end of the school year, we should have six or seven homes ready. We plan to place them either at the Chino campus or the Verde campus to provide housing for students and staff. These homes, ranging from 240 to 300 square feet, are not only compact but also well-constructed and thoughtfully designed.”

As of today, the tiny homes constructed at the Verde Campus remain in the parking lot outside the small Career and Technical Education facility, where they have been for several months. There also appears no movement to prepare an infrastructure on the Verde Campus on which they can be located.