BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Governor Newsom has pledged to spend nearly 30 million dollars to bring 1,200 tiny homes to California for those experiencing homelessness.

Newsom’s plan includes placing the homes in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Jose, and San Diego; all cities plagued with rising homelessness. However, Kern County also is making way for tiny homes, with 50 coming to Oildale, according to Kern County Chief Operations Officer Jim Zervis.

“They’re more like sleeping units, so it’s an 8×8 shelter, and they have electricity, they have heating and electricity in those units, so they’re comfortable, but they don’t have running water and kitchen facilities, those are communal meaning we’ll have a communal shower, communal laundry facilities, community eating and food prep and that’s how these facilities are usually run,” Zervis said.

Zervis shares that 50 tiny homes are under construction on East Roberts Lane and will significantly impact the county’s homeless problem.

“Without these kinds of projects, you would have hundreds of people, more people on the streets here, particularly in metro Bakersfield,” Zervis said.

According to Zervis, the homes are the county’s effort to help those ready to get on their feet, so the units are only temporary.

“We’re focused on projects that help people out of homelessness that maybe they’re struggling, and they just need that help in order to get started and launch into a permanent housing solution,” Zervis said.

The tiny homes in Oildale are planned to be up and running by October, and if successful, Zervis shares that the county is looking at more to come.