Ever since its founding in the aftermath of the Occupy movement a decade ago, Occupy Madison Village has provided simple, basic housing to those in need. The Village at East Johnson street contains eight 99-square foot homes, with a shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. It has been hailed as a model for the tiny home movement. With limited space and Madison’s growing homeless population, however, the Village hasn’t been able to meet the demand for its particular style of affordable, safe housing. Earlier this month, Occupy Madison closed on the purchase of the property that formerly housed Wiggie’s bar on Aberg Street on Madison’s north side. The nonprofit plans to convert the space into first, a campground for the homeless, using Canestoga-style shelters built out of modern materials and designed for warmth during Wisconsin’s cold winters. Eventually, Occupy Madison plans to open a second village of permanent structures at the Aberg Avenue site. Two residents of the Occupy Madison Village, Gene Cox and Larry Orr, joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on October 19, 2020.