Occupy Madison Village: A Case Study of the Lived Experience

Abstract

In December 2018, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted its annual point-in-time homeless assessment study. The study estimated the national homeless count as 553,000, an increase from the previous 2017 report. Developments of tiny house villages, as an alternative approach to the on-going challenge of housing the homeless, were found in several regions of the country. The purpose of the case study was to describe the phenomenon of people with a history of homelessness living in Occupy Madison Village, a tiny house village located in Madison, Wisconsin. Participant narratives were analyzed to identify themes and describe their perceptions of the experience. The advocates for the Occupy Madison Village creatively combined best practices from multiple approaches of housing and community development. The objective was to pull together elements of governance, community-based decision making, and communal living elements. Descriptions of participatory governance, decision making, and design created an environment that encouraged individuals to develop place and community attachment. Themes of place and community attachment emerged from examples of personalization of the space, sense of belonging, length of residency, purpose, and community participation. The integration of community focused principles of cooperative housing and cohousing and place and community attachment encouraged experiences that generated long term residency, self-efficacy, leadership skills, and community engagement.