Leadership Anderson Class 35 Announces Public Campaign to Build City of Anderson's First Tiny Home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leadership Anderson Class 35 Announces Public Campaign to Build 
City of Anderson’s First Tiny Home

Aims to Inspire Movement for “Adequate, Affordable Housing” and “Revitalization Without Gentrification.”

Anderson, South Carolina (March 7, 2019)—This morning, the twenty-nine members of Leadership Anderson Class 35 announced its public campaign to build the first “tiny home” in the City of Anderson. The announcement occurred at Toast ‘N Topics, an event sponsored by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and hosted at Anderson University.

The tiny home will be constructed on a quarter-acre vacant lot at 308 E Street, Anderson, SC purchased by Leadership class members using architectural plans commissioned by the class members and recently approved by the City of Anderson. This new construction will be notable, as it will be the first new construction in the “alphabet streets,” as they are colloquially known, in many decades. Anderson County officials confirmed there has been no new construction in the area since its Building & Codes department was founded in 1985. City officials also confirmed there has been no new construction in recent memory in the area.

Class members said the project is one of the most ambitious annual “class projects” Leadership Anderson has taken on since the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce established the leadership development program in 1984. Class members said they hoped tiny home would serve as a model to inspire a community-wide movement towards the adequate, affordable housing desperately needed for the revitalization without gentrification of former mill neighborhoods across Anderson County. City of Anderson Chief Building Official Alan Eklund has signed off on the architectural plans, a general contractor has been secured, and a Memorandum of Understanding with The LOT Project to take over the home has been signed.

Leadership Anderson is now reaching out to the local community to raise the approximately $75,000 worth of materials & labor needed to complete the project. The class is aiming to raise funds by the end of April and complete construction by June. The class has created a website where interested individuals, organizations, and corporations can learn more and donate online at andersontinyhome.com. Checks (made payable to Foothills Community Foundation with “LA35 Tiny Home” in the memo) may also be mailed to Leadership Anderson Tiny Home Fund, c/o Foothills Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1228, Anderson, SC 29622. The class will be facilitating opportunities for permanent recognition for significant contributions.

Leadership Anderson, founded in 1984, is a 10-month leadership development program devoted to strengthening and dedicating our community leaders. Over 800 local leaders have graduated from the program and continue their commitment to the growth, development and prosperity to Anderson County.

The LOT Project, based on Market Street in downtown Anderson, opens its doors multiple times per week to give away a meal and bag of clothing to those who need it. They strive to “provide a platform for the body of Christ to love, pursue, and provide for the least of these.”

Press Contacts:

Trey Burns, Class Representative
Leadership Anderson Class 35
Source Water Specialist
Anderson Joint Regional Water System
(864) 760-8041 | tburns@arjwater.com

Seth Riddley, Class Project Manager
Leadership Anderson Class 35
Asst. to the Administrator
Anderson County Government
(864) 556-9468 | sariddley@andersoncountysc.org