Tiny homes program offers second chance

Tiny homes are in right now and a local nonprofit is using that momentum to help ex-offenders reenter the workforce while also addressing the shortage of affordable housing.

Pinellas Ex-Offender Re-Entry Coalition (PERC) won a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay for its social enterprise idea, Second Chance Tiny Homes.

Ex-offenders help build tiny homes, and in return, they receive hands-on construction training and certifications from Pinellas Technical College. PERC recently broke ground on its first project in south St. Petersburg to build 60 tiny homes, including 25 specifically for veterans.

– Wilma Norton, Community Foundation of Tampa Bay