The City of Kingston is seeking a qualified consultant (and/or organization that specializes in providing shelter and support services for the homeless) to establish an emergency tiny homes community in the City of Kingston. The purpose of the project is to provide safe, non-congregate housing for homeless residents, and/or those at risk of homelessness while preventing their displacement from the community.

The selected consultant will oversee the development and management of the project with the long-term goal of creating a permanent tiny homes community under the umbrella of an existing non-profit organization or as a new independent non-profit. The concept is modeled after the Second Wind community in Newfield, NY.

The proposed tiny homes community would also offer on-site case management services, security, and site maintenance/sanitation. Toilet and shower facilities would be in a shared common building. Rental rates, if charged, will be in line with affordability based on the Department of Social Services housing allowance.

In late 2019, Enterprise Community Partners, a national non-profit whose mission is to address America's affordable housing crisis, selected the City of Kingston and nine other New York State municipalities for participation in a 10-month Anti-Displacement Learning Network (ADLN) program. Each municipality was asked to create an ADLN Volunteer Team to examine existing conditions, structures, and programs in their communities. The team was also charged with identifying one or more new strategies that could be implemented to prevent displacement of residents at risk of eviction and/or homelessness.

Throughout 2020, the ADLN Volunteer Team convened regularly with Enterprise staff, housing experts, and the other teams from across New York State for a series of workshops designed to guide strategy identification. Among the strategies that members of the volunteer team have pinpointed is the creation of a tiny home community that will provide safe, emergency housing and support services.