Robyn Yerian, 70, used to live in a two-bedroom tiny home that cost just $57,000.
In 2022, she was yearning for more connection — as well as some “passive income.”
So she took some money from her retirement savings, bought a 5-acre plot of land in Cumby, Texas, and is now the landlord and community leader of The Bird’s Nest, an all-women tiny home neighborhood home to 11 women ages 60 to 80.
Yerian spent about $150,000 in total to develop the property, and now there are 14 10-by-30-foot concrete pads, which are rented out to tenants at $450 a month. Here, they can put their R.V. homes or build their own tiny homes on their respective plot of land.
It’s a pretty sweet deal. 11 women live there now, with just one opening available.
“I’ve got about 500 people who want my last spot,” Yerian told Realtor.com
A majority of the women in the community are single — mirroring half of American women 65 and older. Many are divorced, one has never been married, one is a widow, and two are lesbians. Between all of them, they have 21 children and 24 grandchildren scattered around the country.
They are there to keep each other company, along with their nine dogs.
“We drive each other to doctor’s appointments if needed,” Yerian said. “We look in on each other if someone has the flu or surgery. We are each other’s therapists and sounding board.”
It’s what some women might consider a paradise — and that’s what makes it so hard to get in.
“In order to be considered here, you must meet me and the rest of the residents in person,” Yerian said. “Many of my tenants flew in for the process.”
That interview process is relatively informal, but Yerian said, people living on The Bird’s Nest property must be self-sufficient enough to stand on their own, but eager to support the other members of the community. They must love dogs. And they must agree to one of the biggest rules that came into existence back in 2022: No drama.
So far, it’s worked pretty well.
The mix of women is diverse and eclectic, especially among political views. They aren’t wealthy, but they also are not living in poverty. They are often retired, or recently laid off, and they face more difficult economic odds staring down a gender wage gap that, according to The New York Times, persists into retirement.
“According to the AARP, 64% of American women ages 50 to 64 who are not retired and not married have less than $50,000 in retirement savings, compared to 52% of men,” The New York Times reports. “Women’s Social Security payout is, on average, 20% less than men’s.”
Ultimately, despite any disagreements, Yerian wanted to create a community in which hard-working women could live independently, supporting and empowering one another, often coming in with little to no financial cushion.
“My goal is really to keep people out of nursing homes,” she told The New York Times.
And the residents of The Bird’s Nest don’t seem to want to fly far from home.
They cook and eat meals together. They work on home improvements as a team, with leaders hosting building workshops for women interested in learning how to use power tools. They make group outings to the grocery store and local restaurants. They tend to their gardens. They work on crafts.
They have financial independence without sacrificing companionship.
“I didn’t start out wanting to empower women — it evolved,” Yerian told Realtor.com. “I didn’t quite realize how many women are struggling in retirement. So now, I am always thinking of ways I can encourage women.”
She — and the women who surround her — hope the intrigue in their living arrangements inspires others to build something similar of their own.
“I have encouraged others to just go for it,” she added. “Quit saving that little bit of money and invest in a community. You will not get rich doing this, but it is a nice little cushion, and the sense of community is everything.”
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Header image courtesy of The Bird’s Nest/Facebook
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