Dallas approves using city land to build community for homeless veterans

Community for homeless veterans to be built in south Dallas

The Dallas City Council approved the development of a community to help get homeless veterans off the streets and into a better place. FOX 4's Lori Brown has more.

DALLAS - A new community for homeless veterans will be built south of Dallas after City Council approved the project on Wednesday.

Veterans Community Project Village

What we know:

Dallas City Council approved development on the Veterans Community Project Village on Wednesday.

The community will be built on 7.3 acres of city-owned property in southern Dallas, west of the Dallas VA Medical Center near Mentor Avenue.

The Veterans Community Project Village will consist of 50 "tiny homes" with the goal of housing homeless veterans and transitioning them out of homelessness.

The community will also feature a community center, a dog park, walking paths, and a grilling area.

The Veterans Community Project, a Kansas City-based nonprofit, will raise $15 million in funds for the project's development, and must raise $4 million by Dec. 31, 2027 to retain the property.

All veterans will be eligible to receive a home in the community, even those who are not entitled to Veterans Affairs benefits.

What they're saying:

No start or completion date was announced for the project.

What they're saying:

"This is more than a housing project; it is a community of care that honors our veterans’ service and moves us closer to ending veteran homelessness in our city," said Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. "By transforming approximately 7 acres near the VA Medical Center into a village of small homes and on-site supportive services, we are investing in a proven model that helps veterans experiencing homelessness find stability and a path to permanent housing."

"Dallas is not okay with having homeless veterans, and we will not wait for someone else, because these veterans sleep on Dallas Streets, Dallas parks," Bryan Meyer, the co-founder of Veterans Community Project, said.

Bryan Meyer, co-founder of Veterans Community Project

Dig deeper:

Dallas will be the seventh city to open a Veterans Community Project Village.

In other cities, the average veteran's stay is around 11 months, with 85% transitioning to permanent housing. Veterans are allowed to stay at the facility for as long as they need.