Memphis nonprofits are linking up to build tiny homes for those who are deaf, hard of hearing
In the ongoing push to address the number of unhoused residents in Memphis and Shelby County, a smaller subsect of the unhoused, profoundly deaf and hard-of-hearing people, face additional barriers in securing housing and employment.
Those barriers are at the heart of a team-up of two nonprofits Homes for Hearts and Bridges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, with the former being a Memphis-centric nonprofit and the latter serving the Mid-South.
Homes for Hearts, led by CEO Zach Waters, has been in operation since 2020. Waters serves as the president, CEO, and sole employee — when he's not working his other full-time job running online courses for cake and cookie artists with his fiancée.
The collaboration with Bridges was sparked by a man named Henry Comas.
Bridges reached out to Waters, excited by the Homes for Hearts mission and the ultimate goal of providing a pathway to homeownership. Bridges wanted to talk to Waters about Comas.
Comas was kicked out of his housing, which was barely affordable in the first place, because of his three dogs. Comas, who is deaf, relied on his three dogs as his "ears."
"He just realized he was going to have a terribly difficult time finding something that he could afford and would also suit his three beautiful dogs," Waters said.
Comas opted to live in his car rather than give up his dogs. The challenges specific to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals like under-employment, and oral and written language barriers, make securing basic resources difficult. Poverty further exacerbates barriers to society.
At one point, Comas, who knew he was a candidate for a tiny home, had to leave Memphis in order to find shelter.
"He basically told me, 'Thanks so much, but I gotta leave Memphis," Waters said.
Eventually, Comas returned to Memphis. Waters spotted his photo in a Facebook support group for pet owners. Comas was leaning against his car, clutching a bag of dog food as one of his dogs pushed his pink-speckled nose out of a window.
Comas' return to Memphis coincided with Waters' and Bridge's goal to build a tiny home inching towards reality.
"It's really incredible how it worked out," Waters.
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Just as Comas remained steadfast in finding shelter for himself and his dogs, Waters remains equally determined to push through the final barriers — from fundraising to weather delays — to get construction started for Comas' home.
Adding Bridges to Homes for Hearts growing list of partners, Waters said, will enable the nonprofit to help more people like Comas.
"Everyone over there is incredible, with what they're doing," Waters said. "It's just incredible work and we're so excited to add them to our list of partners."
To date, Homes for Hearts has built three tiny homes and put two previously unhoused Memphians on the path of homeownership since the nonprofit was launched. Two more homes, including a home for Comas, are in the works.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to healthcare, hospitals, and resource access. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 2 Memphis nonprofits teaming up to provide homes for deaf residents
