How to Support the Tiny House Villages in 2021

This week we are putting the final touches on phase one (temporary) of the new tiny house village at 1901 Aberg Ave.  We are very excited to be reaching the conclusion of interior construction!  We finished our last house in early January, about 2 months after purchasing the 1901 property.  We ended up building 34 houses.

At this point, honestly, we have to turn our attention to raising the money.  Our next plans include:

• • Renovations at 304 N 3rd St. starting in April.  We are adding a kitchen and community room to the building and adding 4 more houses. The new kitchen and community room will free up woodshop space so we can build the permanent tiny houses there. ($200,000)
  • Permanent status at 1901.  By June we need to go through the planning process and get permanent zoning for 1901 Aberg Ave.  Permanent zoning includes reducing the number of houses from 28 – 20, building our permanent larger houses, landscaping and building raised bed gardens.  It also means we have to determine a permanent use for the building. Should it be a sandwich shop?  A retail store? Or something else. ($200,000)
  • We need more land.  As the larger houses cycle in and we reduce the number of houses at 1901 Aberg Ave for our permanent use, we need to find a new place to put our houses. ($????)
  • We also need a new pick up truck to tow the houses and a passenger van. ($???)

We also know that many people want to continue to volunteer with us.  At the moment, we are looking for the following help:

• • Fundraising Committee – help us determine how to continue to raise funds, write grants and continue to grow our villages.
  • OM Store – help with our on-line store that sells products produced by our residents.
  • OM Grow – help with our greenhouse and spring plant sale.
  • Accounting – we are looking for a bookkeeper
  • OM Shop Managers – lead a shift in our woodworking shop.  Currently shifts are limited to our residents.
  • Resident meeting and services facilitator assistants (meetings are in person, not zoom)
  • Check back for more opportunities soon.

If you are interested in volunteering, email occupymadisoninc@gmail.com.

1. Donate to our GoFundMe page here.  You can also venmo, send a check to 304 N 3rd St. Madison WI 53704 or donate through paypal.  Yes, we have 501(c)(3) status.
2. Share our GoFundMe page on-line.
3. Sign up to become a sustainer – donating a monthly amount of money to help us with ongoing costs.
4. Buy products from our on-line store. (check back, more items will be posted.)
5. Donated items for the new village.   Items can be dropped off 1901 Aberg Ave.  Items we currently are accepting include:
   1. Laundry Soap
   2. Dish washing liquid, dishwasher soap
   3. Cleaning sprays, vinegar, bleach and cleaning supplies for bathrooms and showers
   4. Toilet paper
   5. Coffee
   6. Office supplies – paper (printer and notepad), pens, tape
   7. Arts and craft supplies
   8. Small curtains and curtain rods. (32w x 14 H)
   9. Shower shoes
6. Supplies for our woodshop can be dropped off at any time at 304 N 3rd Street.  Items we are looking for include:
   1. Untreated Dimensional Lumber (minimum length 6’) 1×4; 1×6; 2×4 ; 2×6; 2×8; 2×10; 2×12; 4×4
   2. Plywood (minimum size 4’x4’; please no OSB or Particle Board) 3/8”CDX; ½” CDX; ½” MDO
   3. Bulls Eye or Kilz Paint Primer
   4. Hardwoods: Cherry, Walnut, Hickory, Hackberry, Elm, Locust, Ash
   5. Other (please confirm we can use it before dropping off, we have a small space to store it in!)

Upcoming things to watch for:

1. An on-line auction for larger and unique items from Wiggies Bar
2. A grand opening as soon as COVID-19 is over!
3. Many smaller fundraisers over the next year as we continue to try to raise an additional $275,000 or more.

• Other frequently asked questions:
• How do I get a tiny home?