'In her eyes it's a mansion': Homeless 83-year-old widow thrilled to move into yard barn

[Liberal_in_LA]

Source: times news

It might not be a mansion, but a newly renovated yard barn will be the next best thing for an 83-year-old Hawkins County widow who has been homeless for the past 15 years.

Last month a church mission group from Murfreesboro came to Rogersville and nearly completed renovating what started as a 12-by-24 yard barn for "Charlotte" to live in.

---!!


Livesay said he doesn’t know why Charlotte became homeless after her husband died, but since losing her husband Charlotte has been staying with fellow church members.

“They said they have taken care of her within their church, and one family might keep her a month, and then another family, and then another,” Livesay said. “The lady Charlotte was staying with most recently decided it’s not fair — her being widowed and not having a place of her own. (Charlotte’s host said) even though it’s going to be small, I’ll provide her a home.”

Livesay added, “This lady bought a 12’ by 24’ yard barn, and they had the floor plan and living space well planned out without an inch to spare. But when the Murfreesboro mission group got there, they decided it was too small. They built 12 feet on to it so she would have one room designate as a bedroom, and she could spread out a little bit in the other room.”




Read more: http://www.timesnews.net/article/9089372/in-her-eyes-its-a-mansion-homeless-83-year-old-widow-thrilled-to-move-into-yard-barn

---

[stage left]

1. What a lovely thing to do.nt

[appalachiablue]

2. K & R. How wonderful for the lady. Home is where the heart is!

And she likes to garden, even better!

[riderinthestorm]

3. 288 square feet of faith in action. Love this story! K&R nt

[sunnystarr]

12. 432 sq.ft. with the expansion. nt

[riderinthestorm]

19. My math deficiencies on full display

[freshwest]

4. I would love to live in such a place. My health would improve greatly. n/t

[sheshe2]

10. You~

[840high]

5. Lovely.

[SoapBox]

6. Oh! It's a Tiny House...

It might be tiny but it's really grand.

[azurnoir]

7. How wonderful

I wonder how many other vacant buildings could be converted like this

[fantase56]

8. now this is "Christian"

[LynneSin]

13. This is what Jesus taught us

whatever you do for the least of us you do unto me.

Jesus was always known to reach out and help the poor. I wish more people did stuff like this!

[Jamastiene]

9. I love this.

Those buildings can be made into nice, cozy little homes once they are brought up to code, plumbed, outfitted with power, and insulated. The barn roofed ones have character. I really like those.

[sheshe2]

11. KnR

[Vinca]

14. Tiny houses could be the answer to homelessness in this country.

What kind and caring people.

[jtuck004]

15. A local church applied for a permit to build a 12 or 24 unit complex next door in their 'hood to

accommodate seniors and others.

The bigots, i.e. neighbors around them got together, convinced that it would lower property values, put signs in their yards, and killed it.

I wouldn't take a house as a gift near any of them now, speaking of housing values.

But it is nice to know their kids will carry on the tradition of bigotry, having been shown the way by their parents. Just like they did in the 70s.

[TexasBushwhacker]

25. A church organization in Austin

is building a little village of over 200 housing units - RVs, tiny cabins and a few canvas sided structures. The organization is called Mobile Loaves and Fishes.They got a lot of objections from homeowners nearby, even though they weren't that close. The thing that was stunning to me is that the village is specifically for disabled homeless that have some form of income (SSDI or SSI). They will pay a small amount for rent. It's a hand up, not a hand out. Fortunately, the City of Austin told the nasty neighbors to pound sand. They issued the building permit and MLF is in the process of getting donations to build the structures.

http://mlf.org/community-first/

[brer cat]

16. This warms the heart

and makes a great start to my day. Thanks for sharing. K&R

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

17. I would love to help with a project like that!

In fact, it's been a dream of mine to help develop a small community of little houses for single women - 400 to 600 square feet meeting ADA requirements. I watched as my grandmother got older that she and her friends had to give up their houses and move in with family or retirement centers, or awful nursing homes when, in fact, they could have managed a smaller home quite well. They just couldn't afford it, too.

[jwirr]

22. There are plenty of us who would be comfortable in remodeled one car garage. It is not so much

the size as it is the privacy. I have been living in other peoples homes - relatives - for that long also and the biggest problem is being able to have a life of your own. If you are living with others you have to adjust to their lifestyle. Their sleep schedule, limited access to the kitchen, no visitors like you would have in your own space, no pets. It is never easy.

I have tried to talk my daughter into the garage on her son's property but they do not want to give up the garage space. I have finally resigned myself.

I am very glad this lady has found a good place and hurrah for the church.

[Le Taz Hot]

18. See? This is what a good church does.

Imagine what all those churches that spent millions and millions promoting things like Proposition H8 could have done to help so many. And, by the way, 83 and homeless???????

[passnobuck]

20. +10000 Yes!

All those megachurches, too, with their high-salaried "ministers" and televangelists.

That's what would be great, all that money instead going to house and feed the homeless.

[Calista241]

21. Excellent story.

[Fumesucker]

23. It's a great idea but building codes won't let you do this sort of thing in many places

The minimum required home size in my semi rural county is over a thousand square feet, the structure in the OP would never get approved here.

[hamsterjill]

24. This is what a church is supposed to do!

Kudos to the congregation for acting on their beliefs and helping this woman. Love that they were taking her into their homes, too.

THIS is what it's supposed to be about!

[abakan]

26. This is how

Those who claim to be christian should act, Republicans!

[awoke_in_2003]

27. If more churches did this type of thing...

I would not be against their tax exempt status.