A new cluster of 352 square-foot tiny homes in Colorado Springs is offering a potential solution to the city's ongoing struggle to recruit and retain teachers amid rising housing costs.

The project, known as Wendy's Village, is the result of a partnership between the nonprofit We Fortify and Harrison School District, and is designed to provide affordable housing specifically for educators.

Shelley Jensen, Founder and CEO of We Fortify, from Colorado Springs, says the motivation behind the project was to help teachers remain in the community.

With one model house already built, Jensen says they are now in the financing stage.

Despite challenges like a limited land lease and grant uncertainty, the development moved forward with $825 monthly rent based on teachers' net income.

"What inspired the village was just a desire to attract high quality teachers and to retain those teachers, but also allow them to live in Colorado Springs in a dignified environment with a quality of life," Jensen said."

Jensen hopes Wendy's Village will come to fruition as Working Fusion did, which is another village her organization founded.

"Working Fusion is our flagship village," she explained. "It houses vulnerable young adults between the ages of 18-25 who are either already homeless, about to become homeless, or emancipating out of foster care. "

"This village is developed under our Elevate Division of land development. "

She added: "These villages run at deficit because of the comprehensive support services provided included trauma informed therapies, life skills education, and weekly check-ins around individualized empowerment plans. "

"Wendy's Village will be our first social enterprise village developed under our new Noble Division of development."

Colorado Springs, like many communities across the country, has seen housing prices outpace teacher salaries.

This has led some educators to seek work elsewhere, contributing to staffing shortages in local schools.

"Right now, Colorado is one of the most difficult states to live in from an affordability perspective, and we're 49th in funding for education," Jensen said."

The layout was designed to foster a sense of community, with shared green spaces and communal areas.

The school district's superintendent and executive team toured the site and, according to Jensen, responded positively to the quality of the homes and the amenities offered.

"We have one model home built,"

she said.

We designed a very beautiful, community-focused development plan. The homes are gorgeous, they're bright, well lit, and they have all the amenities that you would have in a home that was much larger."

The project faced several hurdles, including a 10-year limit on the land lease from the school district and uncertainty regarding the approval of a congressional grant.

Amid these challenges, the development proceeded, with rent set at $825 per month.

Each house will be 352 square feet in size and include a full kitchen, bathroom, living room, and bedroom.

Jensen explained that the rent was calculated by subtracting the $11,000 teachers contribute annually to their retirement fund from their income, and then charging 30% of the remainder — a departure from the standard Area Median Income (AMI) formula.

Jensen says the goal was to create a space that would be both attractive to teachers and harmonious with the surrounding community.

"When you go into a school neighborhood, I don't think that when you're surrounded by residential homes, that putting in a skyscraper full of apartments is really the way to approach things. "

She added: "We came in with the attitude that we wanted to provide a beautiful pocket neighborhood."