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As I drove east from Austin and turned onto a street called Goodness Way, I found myself in a church that is second to none. Over 200 caravans and tiny homes were organized along winding roads and winding roads with community buildings in between.
Community First Village is one of the most interesting homelessness solutions I’ve heard of: long-term community living with an emphasis on humanity, dignity and relationship building. While most homeless assistance comes in the form of temporary shelters, Community First provides people with a place to live, find work, and make friends with their neighbors.
The 51 acre complex offers affordable housing to those in need, as well as a variety of employment opportunities. Upon entering the complex, I noticed how clean and well-kept everything looked. The courtyards were mowed, the streets clean and in good condition, there were community gardens and art from residents of the village in the community art building and jewelry from the metal workshop.
There was even an on-site auto repair shop, but it was temporarily closed due to COVID-19. The really wild thing about all of this is that the vast majority of jobs in the village are held by the residents themselves.
The food in the market comes mainly from the community garden, the courtyards are designed by the residents, the community buildings are cleaned daily by the residents, and the artworks for sale are all made by the members of the community.
The residents organize movie nights and other community events and run a small guest house on site. The inn brings in outsiders and provides opportunities for others to learn about Community First Village. The guide on the tour I was on commented, “It’s a bit like living in a medieval village … we even have a blacksmith’s shop and forge.”
Lori Nava, a missionary who lives in Community First Village, shared that community has always been an important concept in the design of the complex; to making sure that all houses have verandas so that the neighbors can wave and talk to each other as they walk around.
Community First applicants have to go through a four to six month process to see if they are a good fit. This process usually takes four to six months. Applicants are usually people who have been homeless for more than a year. The median age is 58, which means that for many of them, this long-term apartment will sometimes be the place to spend the rest of their lives.
Nava talks about one of the most difficult areas of life at Community First is the death of their neighbors. She discusses how the community gathers for prayer and tells stories about the person.
Missionals not only help nurture a community, but also work to convert people who have been homeless for long periods, in many cases over a decade, back to home and community living.
They help with work, give lifts, pick up food, and help people keep a clean house and learn good hygiene habits. Missionals also inquire with the people about the hard life adjustment that the residents have made
“Our model is a relational model, not a transactional model. If you want to make a difference in someone’s life, it’s not the stuff or the house that makes the difference, it’s the person-to-person heart-to-heart relationship that will make the difference. So here comes humanity comes into play, which recognizes the existence of a human being, ”said Alan Graham, founder of Community First Village.
Alan started his work helping the homeless, providing groceries to people on the street. Then he started buying land and trailers to house the homeless in what eventually became Community First Village.
Community First is a solution to homelessness problems like I’ve never seen before, and to my knowledge it’s the only one of its kind. I would like more operations like Community First, where humanity and dignity are paramount.
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