This Bellingham tiny village opened a year ago. Residents say it saved them
One year since the opening of Bellingham’s North Haven Tiny Home Village, the residents are sharing the impact of the unique housing community on their lives.
The 47-home village opened in May of 2025. It offers 8 feet by 12 feet living units for formerly homeless individuals as a safe, secure home until they can eventually find more permanent housing. The village operates on city-owned land in the Birchwood Neighborhood and is managed by the nonprofit HomesNOW! Not Later.
North Haven has about a 70 percent rehousing rate for moving residents into permanent housing, according to HomesNOW! co-director Tina Hayes.
“This has been a long journey,” Hayes said in an interview with The Bellingham Herald.
Hayes was unhoused for years before becoming a resident at one of the nonprofit’s tiny home villages. She eventually found permanent housing and now co-manages North Haven by helping residents on the same path she walked.
“It’s only a stepping stone. We’re here to give a hand up, not a hand out,” Hayes said.
The village features shared kitchens, bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities. Residents can have pets while they are at the village and must all follow mutually agreed-upon rules that help keep the community safe. No alcohol or hard drugs are allowed on site and all residents take turns cleaning the shared spaces.
While living in the village, residents connect with helpful resources, such as mental health or substance use treatment, employment opportunities and permanent housing. There is no limit to how long a resident can stay at North Haven.
“They’re building resumes here. They’re building rental history here because some have never had that in their life, never had a bank account, don’t know to boil water, don’t know how to do laundry, don’t know how to communicate. We teach all of the above,” Hayes said.
Desiree Rodriguez is a resident and coordinator at North Haven. After decades of holding career roles, she fell on hard times, lost her housing and began using drugs. She lived on the streets for a while before getting clean a couple of years ago. She eventually found a temporary shelter locally before transitioning to North Haven.
“It was a miracle. It was a God-send. I was getting ready to die on the streets,” Rodriguez told The Herald.
She said the structure and security of North Haven offers the support residents need to give them another chance at bettering their lives.
“This place has been amazing. I became a different person here. I came in really sad and kind of scared and defensive. Now I’m up to being a coordinator. I’ve learned to talk to people better and how to give people resources. I think there needs to be way more of these,” Rodriguez said.
Co-coordinator and village resident Frank Jones was homeless for about five years before getting involved with tiny homes about two years ago. He said it feels good to be able to help others going through the same situation he did.
“It’s rough being homeless. We get looked down upon. We get treated like we’re less than human. It sucks to fight for basic needs. We’re all human, and we all screw up,” Jones told The Herald.
He agreed that the tiny home village structure helps residents break the cycle of homelessness.
“It’s a more positive thing to have this stability, this safety. It’s somewhere you can lay your head down at night. You can feel safe because you have locks, you have windows. Nobody can come in unless you want them to. You have access to a washer and a dryer, bathroom facilities, a hot meal,” Jones said.
North Haven resident and mother Tina Eastman was born and raised in Bellingham. She said she found herself unhoused a few years after her decades-long relationship came to an end.
“I got into some drugs and ended up losing my job, losing my place, just hitting rock bottom pretty hard. I walked myself into treatment, asked for help. I’ve been sober for three years now,” Eastman told The Herald.
She lived on the streets for six months before being accepted at North Haven, where she’s been for 11 months. She said the village is peaceful and full of helpful people. Eastman said the community is the reason she has great friends and has helped her stay sober.
“It’s awesome. I love this place. It saved me from a lot of things. I’m not at rock bottom anymore,” Eastman said.
North Haven combined two other villages, Swift Haven and Unity Village, that were previously operating on city-owned property and were forced to move.
The city purchased the village’s property for $1.2 million near the intersection of Northwest and West Maplewood avenues. Site development and village relocation cost the city about $1.4 million, including installation of utilities and amenities such as electrical, plumbing, kitchens, laundry and storage, plus replacement of houses and common areas that were unable to be reused from previous villages, according to the city. The city also pays about $50,000 annually to support operating costs.
City code does not currently allow tiny home villages to remain in one place permanently. Permitted tiny home villages are allowed to operate in the same location for two years, followed by up to three one-year extensions.
The city purchased the North Haven property with the long-term goal of using it to support the development of affordable housing.
Donations to HomesNOW! can be made at the organization’s website. Applications to live at the village can also be filled out on the website.
