For the past four months, Couper Orona, a 44-year-old retired firefighter, has taken refuge in one of the tiny, wooden dwellings as part of the Saint Francis Homelessness Challenge's (SFHC) Transitional Sleep and Storage Shelter pilot program. Orona moved into the unit after living in tent encampments and leaving the city's Navigation Center, which limited her stay to 60 days. "This is sturdy and strong," Orona says describing her home for the past four months. "It gives me stability, it gives me security." This new program affords her basic housing — a roof over her head, a bed to sleep in and a secure place to keep her possessions —  allowing her to work full-time and stay indefinitely while pursuing more permanent housing options. Read more: ww2.kqed.org/news/2017/12/20/new-program-pitches-tiny-homes-as-solution-to-s-f-homelessness/ Video: Arash Malakzadeh

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