For months, Anita and Kenneth Johnson were homeless and searching for a place to stay. They moved back and forth between the streets and shelters that could not accommodate Anita’s wheelchair.
Now they have their “forever home.”
“It was truly a blessing,” Kenneth said. “To say, ‘This is mine.’”
The Johnsons are among the first residents of a development called OurCommunity: a new 280-acre master-planned neighborhood in Ferris, about 25 miles southeast of Dallas. The neighborhood is designed for people who have experienced homelessness and need long-term care. Residents include elderly individuals, people with disabilities and those with serious medical conditions.
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The project, led by the Christian nonprofit OurCalling, aims to serve a population that often falls through the cracks of traditional housing programs, said CEO and Pastor Wayne Walker.
“At OurCalling, we get a lot of people off the streets,” Walker told The Dallas Morning News. “But there’s a group of people that have desperate needs, folks that need long-term care, people that are elderly, people that are disabled.”
Political Points
The first phase of the project includes 25 homes, 20 of which are for formerly homeless residents like the Johnsons. Eleven residents now live in the new residential community. The remaining five are occupied by missional residents from the Dallas Theological Seminary, individuals and families who choose to live onsite to support their neighbors and build community.
The project is privately funded by individuals, foundations, corporations and churches. The total estimated cost of the project is $70 million. Currently, OurCalling is focused on raising $25 million for phase two of the project. The cost of rent and living in the residential community is very low, according to the organization. Each case is treated individually. Residents will be able to use their government benefits to pay for their rent.
The residents’ homes have one bedroom and are approximately 550 square feet. The missional homes have three bedrooms and are about 1,100 square feet. They all include a living room, fully equipped kitchen and washer and dryer.
OurCommunity, a community in Ellis County intended to provide long-term housing for homeless individuals who are elderly, chronically or terminally ill, or disabled, photographed on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Ferris, TX.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
The project is still in its early stages. During the current pilot phase, OurCommunity is providing holistic care. While permanent facilities are under construction, services for the initial 25 homes will be coordinated with visits to the grocery store, medical appointments and also mobile units on site, which will provide medical services.
Since OurCommunity is being built as funds are raised, there is no tentative completion year. OurCalling operates debt-free, according to the organization.
The community will feature 500 homes nestled in distinct neighborhoods, along with a central services building that will include a medical clinic, cafeteria and other resources. A septic treatment plan will be part of this second phase.
Aging with dignity
Community residents are “not homeless anymore,” Walker said. “They have a safe space to live, where they can live in healthy communities for the rest of their lives.”
Residents will age in these homes, Walker said, and these will be their “forever homes.”
“We decided to build this because there’s a huge gap for elderly and disabled neighbors coming out of homelessness who can’t care for themselves or navigate the system,” Walker said.
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“Everything we’ve done at OurCalling has been because it needed to be done. As I often say, ‘Somebody needs to be the hands and feet of Christ under a bridge,’ and for those who don’t have a home, we have to be willing to step up and just build them one.”
Bryan Tony, the executive director of the Dallas Housing Coalition, a grassroots organization that promotes housing affordability in the city, said the project offers a unique opportunity to help some of the most vulnerable populations and demonstrate how a private funding initiative can provide permanent housing.
“This project adds to our housing supply, integrates health care and services,” Tony said. “Permanent housing is one of the best solutions to help stabilize those who have had a hard time.”
Tony hopes this project could be replicated in Dallas County one day. Some of the challenges, he said, are zoning regulations and residents’ and Dallas council members’ lack of support for opening a new homeless shelter or permanent housing.
OurCommunity, a community in Ellis County intended to provide long-term housing for homeless individuals who are elderly, chronically or terminally ill, or disabled, photographed on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Ferris, TX.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
In the past, the city of Dallas has bought properties to build new shelters, but opposition from residents has prevented their construction.
Walker said OurCalling decided to build in Ellis County because of Dallas’s zoning regulations and red tape. He said the project received a very positive response from elected officials and residents of Ellis County.
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Anita Johnson, 54, experienced years of limited mobility and unsafe living conditions. She can now move more freely in a home designed for her needs. Her husband, Kenneth, 67, often found it frustrating when he could not assist her.
Anita recalls how she spent many nights and mornings waiting for the firefighters to come and rescue her, to help her get up from her wheelchair.
“That was a long chapter in my life,” Anita said. “I’m glad that book is closed.”
Building community
Across the community, neighbors greet one another and start building relationships. There is even a white-and-yellow community cat named “Our Cat,” who is often seen roaming around the complex.
In the middle of the community, there is a small barbecue grill and a couple of benches. There is also a dog park.
That sense of connection is by design, Walker said.
Walker said OurCommunity is a dream project that has come to life to provide a safe, healthy environment while supporting those with long-term needs.
OurCalling CEO and Pastor Wayne Walker looks at OurCat, also known as OC, during a tour of OurCommunity, a community in Ellis County intended to provide long-term housing for homeless individuals who are elderly, chronically or terminally ill, or disabled, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Ferris, TX.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Unlike many housing programs that focus on employment and independence, the community is built for people who may never be able to work or live fully independently, he said.
The homes include ramps, wide pathways and ADA-compliant bathrooms for residents who use wheelchairs or walkers. Walker says the goal goes beyond accessibility.
“What we wanted to create here was a lot more than just a roof and a door,” he said. “It’s really the focus on healthy communities.”
That includes addressing the isolation that often comes with homelessness. Homes are arranged to encourage interaction, with front porches and shared outdoor spaces.
An accessible bathroom in a home at OurCommunity, a community in Ellis County intended to provide long-term housing for homeless individuals who are elderly, chronically or terminally ill, or disabled, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Ferris, TX.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
“Someone can sit on their porch and have a cup of coffee and greet their neighbor in the morning,” Walker said.
A key part of that effort comes from the missional residents from the Dallas Theological Seminary. These residents intentionally live among a specific community to share the love of Jesus through everyday life, service and relationship.
(From left) Barnabas, 1, Judah, 2, and Hadassah, 4, take a stroll with mother, Anna Jenkins, at OurCommunity, a community in Ellis County intended to provide long-term housing for about 400 homeless individuals who are elderly, chronically or terminally ill, or disabled, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Ferris, TX. The Jenkins family are some of the missional residents from the Dallas Theological Seminary.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Anna Jenkins, 29, her husband and three children decided to move to the community earlier this year. Jenkins and her husband, Abraham Jenkins, a Ph.D. student at the Dallas seminary, wanted to live out their faith in a practical, daily way and serve their neighbors as “the hands and feet of Christ.”
Jenkins and her husband moved to Dallas in 2020 for the seminary. They relocated to the community in February, even as construction was still underway.
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“There was no grass, there were no trees. It was just mud and buildings,” Jenkins said. “But they had power and water, and that was all we needed.”
They wake up early, enjoy outdoor activities and naturally interact with neighbors. Jenkins values the supportive environment, the beauty of nature and the ability to serve without feeling isolated.
The Johnsons enjoy their mornings with a stroll around the community, sometimes with a coffee on their porch and other times just by watching TV on their couch at home.
“Have faith,” Kenneth Johnson said. “Everybody goes through changes.” Then he looked around their home. “This is ours,” he said.
Did you know that what you just read was a solutions journalism story, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network? It didn’t just examine a problem; it scrutinized a response. By presenting evidence of who is making progress, we remove any excuse that a problem is intractable.
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