TINY 200 SQUARE FOOT HOMES TO BE PLACED ON CHINO VALLEY CENTER TO HOUSE EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS

Houses built by students at the Verde Valley Campus will be transported to Chino Valley Center where it is anticipated they will have water, electrical and sewer hookups

With Yavapai Community College’s executives maintaining a high level of secrecy regarding their operations, the residents of Yavapai County and the College’s District Governing Board are left with limited information about the College’s plans and actions. Therefore, the announcement of the tiny house project during the May 16 District Governing Board meeting came as a surprise to most people.

While the available information is limited, it seems that according to the gathered information, the current plan of the College is to relocate three student-built tiny homes from the Verde Campus carpenter shop to the Chino Valley Center. These tiny homes, with an area of 200 square feet, will be made available for rent to employees at a monthly rate of $700, which includes utilities. In the event that employees do not rent them, the houses will be offered to students.

The May 16 Governing Board meeting briefly mentioned the project, but the majority of detailed information about the tiny house project became public knowledge through a news story aired on Phoenix TV Channel 3 on May 31. During the report, journalist Casey Torres provided additional details, stating that the tiny homes would be 200 square feet in size and constructed by students. Torres also mentioned that the rental cost for these houses would be $700.00 per month, inclusive of utilities.

During an interview with Channel 3 on May 31 regarding the project, Clint Ewell, the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, appeared to prioritize the needs of students over employees. Ewell emphasized that there are students who wish to enroll at Yavapai Community College but face challenges due to the lack of affordable housing options available to them.

Channel 3 also reported that the Community College’s goal is to have at least three tiny homes for rent at the Chino Valley Center by the spring 2024 semester.

Although not clear, it appears the three tiny houses will join three 3D cement printed houses that may eventually be completed at the Chino Valley Center.  So far though, after expending hundreds of thousands of dollars on the 3D home printing project over the past several years, the College has yet to produce one fully completed 3D house at the Chino Valley Center.  It is still working on the first one.

Yavapai Community College’s annual budget does not clearly indicate the estimated cost of the tiny house  project.

You may view a clip of the report by Ms. Torres by clicking here.