Marietta business owner working to build tiny home village for homeless families

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Marietta business owner is working to build a place of refuge for the homeless.

Molly Holm, owner of Glory Haus in Marietta, says her vision is to build a tiny house village for displaced families.

Over the years, the wholesale home décor retailer has employed people experiencing homelessness. 64-year-old Donna Cheek is one of their success stories.

“Physically and mentally, I was just beat down,” said Cheek. “There were just no friends, no family nothing to live for. She saved my life. They just gave me everything that I need.”

Holm says they’re now looking to scale up their approach in a tiny way.

She says the plan is to renovate the one-acre plot of land behind their warehouse into 15 tiny homes.

“We had just got the land finally cleared from the city and I just knew, I felt like the lord laid it on my heart, this is what you’re going to do with the land,” Holm said.

She said, “We’re going to be able to help the population that might just be behind on a rent payment, might have had a family sickness, they could have a crisis.”

Holm says they’re working with local churches, non-profits and private businesses to raise the $3 million needed to build the homes.

She says the homes will provide transitional housing for families with children in the Marietta City School District.

“We know that there’s over 500 unhoused children in the Marietta city school system and in Cobb County it is in the 1,000’s,” Holm said.

Cheek says the job at Glory Haus has helped get her life back on track.

“I would have no hope. I really don’t think I would be alive,” she said.

Holm says the project will allow them to expand their reach.

“Our goal is that we can make generational change,” she said.

She says the hope is to have the village up and running by August.

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