Officials mark start on homelessness village in southern Pulaski County
After at least a year of planning and land prep, officials in Central Arkansas ceremoniously broke ground Tuesday on Providence Park, a 50-acre homelessness village expected to provide 400 affordable tiny homes in southern Pulaski County when complete.
By: Mary Hennigan
Arkansas Advocate
After at least a year of planning and land prep, officials in Central Arkansas ceremoniously broke ground Tuesday on Providence Park, a 50-acre homelessness village expected to provide 400 affordable tiny homes in southern Pulaski County when complete.
“The village will provide our most vulnerable residents with a dignified place to call home, will empower them to create a space they can be proud of, where they can feel safe and cultivate the community themselves,” said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, who spearheaded the project.
The first residents were initially expected to move into the community this summer, but construction delays pushed the timeline back and the first tenants are now expected in 2025.
At least 100 people gathered Tuesday at Iron Horse Church near the Pulaski-Saline County border to hear from officials as they announced the project’s start. The groundbreaking didn’t take place at the site of the village, but rather a few streets over where officials also marked progress on the Southwest Trail, a path that will connect Pulaski, Saline and Garland counties.
The homelessness village is a $5 million investment Hyde initiated after he visited a similar setup in Austin, Texas, called the Community First! Village.
Arkansas’ Providence Park aims to house the “chronically homeless,” or people who have been unsheltered for at least 12 months. The community will be a more permanent option for folks, and the houses are expected to have a rent attached, though the price is currently unknown.
People interested in living at the village will be required to apply and interview with management staff. Referrals from existing homelessness organizations are also welcome but not required. Potential applicants would need to fit within the housing qualifications, mainly that they’ve been homeless for at least one year.
In addition to the tiny homes, the community is also slated to have its own bus stop, bathrooms and laundry, a communal kitchen, health center, market and more.
“Rather than continuing to stigmatize and criminalize homelessness, the communal focus of Providence Park provides individuals with a way to get back on their feet in a supportive environment,” Hyde said.
Read more here.
