31% of the unsheltered homeless population and 19% of those that are sheltered are between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. Though these numbers are startling, many of the city’s homeless young adults are actively working to improve their quality of life—working toward their GEDs, holding jobs or taking courses in college.​
Yet, even when sheltered, these young people are burdened by impermanence: many are forced out of shelters during the day with no place to store their belongings during work or interviews; they have no privacy for studying, let alone space for self-care. Transience means they often lack stable communities for support. Tiny houses can provide solutions for these young individuals seeking stability, support, safety and community. 
This competition invites teams from across the country to submit their ideas for a small community of tiny homes in Chicago. Though speculative, the partners involved in launching this competition believe that good design can contribute to innovative solutions, and by engaging the design community in this competition, we are taking steps toward turning these solutions into reality.

 Tiny Homes can provide a lower-cost solution to the need for affordable and subsidized housing in Chicago; particularly for those young adults living without stable housing. Micro-living has become a trend in diverse communities, but has only recently been introduced as a low-cost, viable, quality-of-life-enhancing alternative to homeless shelters. With their own private space in a planned development young adults can safely store personal belongings, including clothes, textbooks and legal documents; as well, they provide young adults with privacy within a shared community—all components of an important step on their path to full independence.