‘The Village of Tiny Town’ community proposed in Arcadia, Florida
The next service stage of DeSoto Cares Homeless Services is the development of the "Tiny Town" project. It will be a community of tiny houses to provide housing for the homeless. Each house is 160 square feet that is fully furnished. It will be built on property, that is wooded and includes wetlands, donated to DeSoto Cares Homeless Services located in Arcadia.
The property has been the site of a homeless encampment. Recent work to start preparing the property caused concern with some folks in the community who care about the fate and treatment of the homeless.
DeSoto Cares Homeless Services has been conscientious in properly planning the Tiny Town project. Repeated visits were made to the homeless encampment to explain the need to the clear the property in order to have required surveying and marking of the wetlands.
While it disrupts those in the encampment, it is the only way to eventually establish the housing project. As far as known, this is the first and only attempt to provide homeless housing in DeSoto County.
Thus far Board of Directors representatives have met with Southwest Regional Water Management, Central Florida Regional Planning Board, City of Arcadia Officials, and an engineering firm. Completion of wetland flagging, and property surveying is in progress.
The building of Tiny Town will be a major accomplishment toward addressing the issue of homeless housing. To succeed it will require good community support with volunteers and funds. DeSoto Cares Homeless Services looks forward to working with all interested community members and organizations.