KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City officials are planning to create a village of up to 150 tiny homes to provide housing for residents who are currently homeless.
The homes in the village would range from single person up to family size, officials said Wednesday. The city is seeking a site for the village that would be large enough to also provide other social services to the residents, The Kansas City Star reported.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said the concept is a step toward offering Kansas City’s homeless population a sense of dignity and pride.
City Manager Brian Platt said the goal is to build a pilot project with dozens of units in the next several weeks. Once that is established, residents who are currently living in area hotels would be encouraged to move into the village.
The project would be funded by federal money given to Kansas City in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Houston DeFoe, co-founder of area nonprofit Merging KC, said plans include a community building in the village where residents could learn essential life skills to live more independently. Space is also planned for caseworkers from various nonprofits on the site 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
