Tiny home community near Ferris will serve vulnerable homeless residents

As cities across North Texas struggle with rising housing costs and see the number of homeless residents increase, a nonprofit is working towards a solution.

Outside the city of Ferris, 25 miles south of Dallas, the faith-based organization Our Calling broke ground Wednesday on what will be a new tiny home community that will provide housing to people experiencing homelessness.

The neighborhood, called OurCommunity, will consist of 500 tiny homes and will sit on a 280-acre rural property. The development will also include a chapel, medical clinic, cafe, mental health clinic and counseling areas. It will serve people in need of long-term services, including seniors and those with physical and cognitive disabilities.

A one-bath, one-bedroom, one-bathroom tiny home is approximately 390 square feet. Each unit will be fully furnished, and many of the homes will include ramps instead of stairs.

"This project is going to serve really our most vulnerable homeless neighbors," said Juliana Williams, chief advancement officer for OurCalling.

"It's not a project for anyone who might need to transition off the streets," she said. "It's going to be a community of support and care for neighbors that are elderly, that are disabled that may have cognitive challenges or need long term supported therapeutic care."

Williams said the homes will be for people who need to live out the rest of their days in dignity.

The nonprofit will identify potential future residents through its outreach center in Dallas, where they serve about 300 to 500 people a day, according to Williams. Community partners in Ellis County, where the neighborhood will be located, will help them identify people who would benefit from this model.

Wayne Walker, the CEO and pastor for the organization, said they researched more than 60 tiny home communities around the country to put the best pieces together and learn the best practices from them. Similar developments are in the works in Denton and Fort Worth , and a tiny home community in Austin serving formerly unhoused individuals is looking to expand from 370 residents to 500.

"The level of support services we're going to be providing here on site does seem to be pretty unique," Walker said. "All those services are onsite so that people won't have to leave to take care of themselves. It's a place where they're able to live for the rest of their lives."

The $15 million raised for Phase I will cover the land purchase, land improvements and master plans. The funding came from private donors. The first 25 homes should be complete by this spring.