MACON, Ga. — Earlier this year, 13WMAZ reported on tiny homes in Macon along Maynard Street. They're meant to help people who are homeless, or those recovering from mental health or addictions.
ORIGINAL STORY: "Having a home and roof over your head aids in your recovery:" River Edge to unveil five tiny homes
Cass Hatcher with River Edge Behavioral Health says having a roof over someone's head can help them with recovery.
Now, Anthony Williams and four others have moved in. Williams was beaming from ear to ear.
It's a tiny space, but he says it has everything he needs.
"I'm enjoying my better life," said Williams.
Williams says last year, he was drinking heavily and depending on alcohol. He hit rock bottom when his girlfriend broke up with him.
"I just snapped, grabbed a knife, and ran into the bathroom and [hit] myself in the chest. I kept hitting it, but it wouldn't go any deeper," said Williams.
He managed to get to the hospital where they treated him for his physical wounds, but it was his mental health that needed focused attention.
He entered River Edge's recovery program and stayed at The Salvation Army.
He applied to live in the tiny home through the Salvation Army, and River Edge has case managers who visit and make sure he stays sober and on his medications.
"I thank God because without Him, it wouldn't have happened," said Willliams.
Almost a year after the lowest point in his life, he's thankful for a roof over his head. Williams qualified through the program to live in his tiny home rent-free.
River Edge uses grant money to subsidize rent, and the project was made possible through a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing.
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