Weathering the Storm: Delivering Yurts for Resilient Living in the Wild
In the heart of Homer, Alaska, a family’s vision to create sustainable, weather-hardy housing has grown into one of the most respected names in extreme climate shelter manufacturing, Nomad Shelter Alaskan Yurts. Founders Lee and Jessica Tenhoff launched their company with a simple but powerful goal: to work together while raising their sons, stay close to home, and build a meaningful livelihood that matched their values.
Drawing on years of firsthand experience living in yurts of their own design, Lee engineered structures that could withstand Alaska’s harshest weather conditions. What started as a cottage industry quickly evolved into a full-fledged manufacturing business, guided by innovation, community values, and a commitment to helping fellow Alaskans find affordable, sustainable housing.
The business found its first big break in the 1990s while the family was living in Nome. With support from a concept development grant from the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, Nomad Shelter conducted a successful market study that proved demand for their unique product. This research laid the foundation for future growth, and in 2000, they relocated to Homer to scale production.
Flexibility and resilience are at the heart of Nomad Shelter. With a core team of dedicated yurt-makers, they have been able to ramp up for large custom orders while maintaining the nimbleness to ride out slower seasons. But like many entrepreneurs, they’ve faced persistent challenges in financing, especially in an industry banks often deem too unconventional to support.
That’s where the Alaska SBDC stepped in once again. Robert Green, a business advisor with the Alaska SBDC in Homer, worked closely with the Nomad Shelter team to refine their proposal and identify a lender whose mission aligned with theirs.
In June 2023, after 25 years of seeking traditional funding without success, Nomad Shelter received confirmation that they were officially funded through Cook Inlet Lending for their innovative Lease-to-Own yurt program—a major milestone for the company. This first-round funding was made possible by Robert’s referral and marked the first time a lender had agreed to use yurts and inventory as collateral, something banks had previously refused.
The result of this collaboration was a pioneering Lease-to-Own pilot program, designed to address Alaska’s housing shortage by offering yurts to working residents with low down payments and affordable monthly costs.
The first 15 units have already been placed, and the results speak for themselves: customers gain secure housing, Nomad Shelter maintains steady production year-round, and the lender fulfills its mission of expanding homeownership opportunities in Alaska’s most underserved communities.
“Nomad Shelter’s success story is not just about yurts, it’s about determination, creative problem-solving, and the power of collaboration. SBDC truly works with entrepreneurs to make vision a reality,” the team says. “We’ve worked with them for years, and their support has made all the difference.”
With plans to expand the program to include new yurt sizes and reach even more communities, Nomad Shelter continues to model what’s possible when ingenuity meets tenacity and when mission-driven businesses have the right partners behind them.
Nomad Shelter is located at 3001 Little Fireweed Lane in Homer. Learn more at www.nomadshelter.com, or connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
