The Dallas City Council approved the development of a new transitional housing site for veterans experiencing homelessness on Wednesday, May 27.
Kansas City-based nonprofit Veterans Community Project will design, fund, construct, operate, and maintain the VCP Village for at least 20 years. The development will utilize 7.3-acres of vacant City-owned property west of South Lancaster Road near the Dallas VA Medical Center.
The council approved the transition of the property to VCP by Dec. 31, 2027 pending the organization raising at least $4 million of the construction funding needed for the project. The total estimated cost of the project is $15 million.
The village will include 50 small homes, a community center and on-site amenities such as walking paths, small dog park, shaded structure and barbecue grilling area.
District 4 Council member Maxie Johnson said at the council meeting Wednesday that the project has been in the works since he was elected to council last June.
“In eight months, we’re able to build what we call a ‘veteran village’ for our veterans in our City,” Johnson said. “I believe that if you have served this country and you’re a veteran, we should not have our veterans homeless. No veterans should be homeless. We ought to take care of our veterans. And so, we will be doing a veteran village, 50 homes, right across the street from the veteran’s hospital in District 4.”
