Three years ago, the lot at the end of Jarvis Street in Sitka was fully wooded. Now, it’s cleared, graded, and buzzing with construction activity. Contractors are expanding a parking pad and preparing to pour concrete foundations.
“Next week, we’ll be working on utilities installations, so we’re very much full steam ahead.”
Andrew Hinton is the executive director of Sitka Homeless Coalition. He said the Hítx’i Sáani, or “Little Houses,” project, has been in the works since 2020. The project is intended to provide permanent supportive housing to people experiencing homelessness in Sitka.
That housing is desperately needed. According to Sitka’s 2024 Point-in-Time Count, Sitka has between 19 and 22 people experiencing homelessness. With no transitional housing or year-round shelter serving the general public — Sitkans Against Family Violence provides shelter to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault– there are few options for people who need a roof over their heads.
The original plan for Hítx’i Sáani was to build 12 freestanding cabins with a central service building – hence the name “Little Houses.”
“When this project began, these were envisioned as cabins,” Hinton said. “And what we’ve really leaned into, and what we understand as an organization, is the need for housing.”
Hinton said as the project progressed, it became clear that a single building with multiple units would be more efficient.
“It would be difficult for us to have, like, a heat pump in each one, but if we have one heat pump, that can spread over three or four units, with different heads,” he said.
The complex will have 12 studio-style apartments, each with a bathroom and kitchenette. Units will be assigned on a case-by-case basis, but Hinton said they’ll focus on people who have experienced homelessness for at least a year, and who frequently use emergency services.
After the units are constructed, the coalition also hopes to build a central building with a commercial kitchen and space for partner organizations to offer support services. Programs director Denise Shaffer said that space will serve another goal – to provide a sense of belonging for a population that often faces social isolation.
“So many people who experience homelessness also experience social poverty,” Shaffer said. “So they lack connections, any sort of social network that allows for them to, you know, whenever we go through a hard time, we often lean on the people who are closest to us, and whenever you’re experiencing homelessness, it’s hard to find a close person that you can trust.”
She envisions the Hítx’i Sáani as a place that not only provides housing, but meaningful community.
“What is going to make the biggest difference in people experiencing chronic homelessness is just having somebody who cares about them, being a part of a neighborhood, being a part of a group of people,” Shaffer said.
There’s still a long way to go on the project, but Shaffer said it feels like they’re turning a corner.
“We’re going to start having vertical construction here by the end of the summer, and it’s just going to be so much more real than I think it has ever felt in our community,” she said.
Utilities will be installed starting the week of July 22, and then contractors will start pouring concrete foundations. With any luck, 12 Sitkans will call the Hítx’i Sáani community home by spring 2025.
