\u201cI came from The Bridge shelter. Melissa came from Austin Street. And Kenny, I think he said he came from Dallas Life,\u201d Laurie said, referring to her new neighbors. \u201cSo we arrived, we sat out on the porch and we talked to each other…. I enjoy being here. I feel so blessed.”<\/p>\n
This neighborhood of 25 homes \u2014 about 550 square feet each \u2014 where neighbors\u2019 front porches face each other, has been years in the making; the nonprofit OurCalling broke ground on the project in fall of 2024, and residents started moving into the homes earlier this year. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re not under a bridge, you’re not hearing the traffic, there’s no police cars in the background, you’re listening to the silence,” said OurCalling CEO Wayne Walker.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are on 280 acres, we have over 20 acres of ponds, to watch the wind blowing through the trees, and the grass in the field,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a beautiful sanctuary.\u201d<\/p>\n
The low-cost community is designed for people from Dallas and Ellis counties who are homeless and in need of long-term care. This includes elderly residents and people with physical disabilities or cognitive challenges.<\/p>\n
The second phase of the project will build two additional neighborhoods as well as a central hub that will include a medical clinic, a cafe, laundry services, a chapel and coffee shop, among other services. OurCalling is fundraising $25 million for phase two, and construction will begin once funds have been raised.<\/p>\n
\u201c[We] have a lot of neighbors to get off the streets,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
The community is meant to close the gap between independent housing and a nursing home, for those who need supported living or in-home care, Walker said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is caring for someone else’s aging parent,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Missional residents also live on site to help with day-to-day activities and spiritual needs.<\/p>\n
Broderick Ellison, a deacon who grew up in South Dallas, moved in last month and has seen how residents who haven’t had a permanent home in years get acclimated and help each other.<\/p>\n
He said when doing this type of mission work, people often think they have to go to another country.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes it’s in our own environments, on our own streets with our own people, that we can serve in an amazing and impactful way,\u201d Ellison said.<\/p>\n
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The neighborhood includes a club house where residents and staff gather to share meals and visit with each other.<\/p>\n
The sense of camaraderie is visible at the club house, where residents gather, where three meals a day are shared and people find fellowship.<\/p>\n
Having to live on the street and in the shelter in recent years, Grace Laurie said she knows she\u2019s at an advantage now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a community that you hear about,\u201d she said, \u201cnot that you’ve experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Priscilla Rice is KERA\u2019s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at\u00a0price@kera.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n