Building on a prayer

Camp Mercy is a five-unit tiny house village in a part of Olympia Union Gospel Mission (OUGM), which began its outreach to the homeless in 1995. 

The mission works to help individuals break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.

The five tiny houses were built as part of a New Market Skills Center, YouthBuild school project funded by the Lacey, Olympia and Gateway Rotary clubs.

The project was suddenly halted in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic — the school was closed, and the project stopped while the work remained partially completed.

“The camp was an unexpected answer to a long-held belief and prayer going back to the early 2000s that the mission needed a facility that could give people a safe harbor who had reached a point where they wanted to change their lives,” said Skip Steffen, who is Executive Director of the Olympia Union Gospel Mission.

He added that after the houses were built, the City of Olympia approached the OUGM wanting to know if it could put them to good use. 

“I jumped at the chance,” said Steffen, “and I began the permit process for five tiny houses.” 

Camp Mercy opened in September 2020.

Steffan’s prayer has since grown as an additional 10 tiny houses were recently placed on the OUGM’s property.

“The next 10 houses are sited with the existing five in a semicircular configuration,” he added,  “and while a small number of parking stalls have been lost, no major disruption of parking has occurred.”

The tiny houses — all 8 feet wide by 12 feet deep — were donated to the OUGM by the City of Olympia. Moving the houses onto the mission’s property, structural and cosmetic repairs, painting, site improvements and providing electrical service are expected to cost about $42,000. The homes are scheduled to open in the near future.

“At this time, we have no plans to expand Camp Mercy further,” Steffan concluded.  “However, remembering that we had not planned on having any tiny houses, we will see what God wants for our future.”