Tiny Home Village Moves Into Globeville

By Sarah Ford | Photos by Giles Clasen

After months of questions, residents of Beloved Community Village, Denver’s tiny home community, finally have a new home. In May, they began rebuilding and moving into their new address at 4400 S. Pearl St. in the Globeville neighborhood. 

Due to city restrictions and permitting challenges, the village has moved twice in its history. Since its start in 2017, Beloved Community Village has had two different homes on spots of land in the River North Arts (RiNo) District. 

With several setbacks in finding available land to host the village after a May 15 vacancy deadline this year, residents faced the possibility the village would be closed permanently. However, City Council unanimously approved relocation to Globeville in late April with a 13-0 vote. 

Now, Beloved residents hope the new home will allow the village not just to continue, but grow. ■

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The City of Denver and nonprofit Colorado Village Collaborative, which represents Beloved Community Village, agreed on a $10-a-year lease for up to three years at 4400 S. Pearl St. The lot is over 20,000 square feet, providing extra space for more than the current 11 tiny homes. Residents hope that in the next few years they will be able to expand to 20 homes. They also hope to be able to add additional facilities, such as a communal kitchen area.

Many Globeville residents are concerned about the introduction of Beloved Community to the neighborhood. In the April 30 City Council vote to approve the village’s lease, numerous Globeville residents spoke, voicing concerns that the neighborhood is underserved and not given enough attention by the city. Many said they had hoped the space would be used for community betterment projects such as a farmer’s market or community garden. As Beloved Community begins moving in, these “No Tiny Home Village” signs sit in front of several homes next to the site.

Beloved Community’s 12 residents say they hope they can create a sense of community and integrate well with the Globeville neighborhood. A 2018 study by the University of Denver found the tiny home village had a “demonstrably positive” impact on its community in RiNo. The study found that 90 percent of neighbors reported a positive or no impact on the community by the village, while 87 percent said it increased a sense of community.