Nashville will build tiny homes for unhoused residents after a three-year debate about fire safety

Unhoused Nashvillians will soon have a new housing option provided by the city: Pallet Shelters. These are tiny homes that are easy to assemble and look a bit like Monopoly houses.

They truly are tiny — about 64 square feet, barely enough room for a bed and a few shelves. The manufacturer says they’re “emergency” and “transitional.”

The Metro government ordered more than a hundred of these shelters three years ago. But they stayed in storage waiting for approval from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI). The State Fire Marshal, who the TDCI oversees, repeatedly told the Nashville government the shelters were not suitable even as temporary housing. That’s because the material they’re made of isn’t adequately fire-proof.

After three years of back-and-forth between the city and the Fire Marshal, the two parties came up with a solution. Nashville can move people into Pallet Shelters, as long as it adds thermal barriers to improve their fire resistance, and sets them up at least 12 feet apart.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell says the Metro Codes Department and the Office of Homeless Services will work together to put the shelters to use. It’s unclear where they will be placed, and when people will be able to move in.