Possible solution to homelessness

A newscaster on the radio out of Texas the other day was talking about something that made me listen. It was about using tiny houses to house the homeless.

“Tiny houses” are stick-built houses of about 220 square feet in all. They have plumbing, including bathroom, shower and kitchen; stoves; electric lights; little refrigerators and room for furniture including couches, chairs and beds. A lot of them have upstairs spaces which usually are used as bedrooms.

Sometimes, these houses are built on site, and sometimes they are built in factories and hauled out to the sites, where they are installed.

Some of the fancier ones have decks on their roofs.

If you ever watch the television show “Tiny House Nation,” you will see what I’m talking about.

The tiny houses only have room for one or two people, and you probably wouldn’t have relatives in for an overnight stay.

But they don’t cost much. Even at $100 a square foot, and allowing another $12,000 for dirt and utility hookups, one could have a sturdy, new, livable house for around $32,000.

Some of the houses are built to look like old farmhouses, while others resemble beach vacation cottages.

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Now the Christmas season is over, the overeating has to stop. I managed to keep my weight gain down to about two pounds, but I am still walking around looking like a man with clothes on that are too small.

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As many of you know, Mrs. Doud died Dec. 20, and the cards and notes from all her many friends have been rolling in. Our house is filled with condolences. It was filled with tulips from the Skagit Valley in Washington State, until I noticed they were getting tired and going to sleep, so they went outside.

The support and sympathy we received during her last days was unbelievable. I thank you all for your sympathy and for your decency.