California has some of the most unaffordable housing in the United States, with median home prices reaching over $920,000 in Los Angeles and $1.5 million in San Francisco this year. Rent in many locales is outpacing rises in real estate costs, even in once-cheap cities like Fresno.

Considering that the minimum wage hasn’t kept pace with inflation since 1968, what’s the average resident to do" An unprecedented number of unhoused people have no choice but to sleep on the streets. While some city governments are simply sweeping the houseless population from one park to the next like a game of whack-a-mole, groups like DignityMoves are focusing on building communities of tiny homes as a temporary measure until more permanent housing can be secured. DignityMoves announced two inaugural communities in San Francisco and Santa Barbara last month, which cost about $30,000 per room (including all communal spaces) and took just a few months to build. Architecture firm Gensler joined tiny home builder Boss Homes to design prefabricated panel systems that could be assembled on sites secured by DignityMoves – typically vacant land or sparkling lots. Each project offers 70 rooms as well as shared bathroom and shower facilities, dining buildings, computer labs, clinics, and community spaces. The 33 Gough Street community in San Francisco has already begun welcoming residents.

“Central to DignityMoves’ vision is that everyone receives a private room with...