More than a roof: Collin County village opens its doors, aiming to redefine affordable housing

Last month, Keoni Hudson was out of options, sleeping in her car after fleeing domestic violence. The single mom of two was struggling to find an apartment that would accept her application. She had nowhere to go. 

While staying at a domestic violence shelter, she was put on a waiting list for Jericho Village, an attainable housing project in Wylie. In May, she was one of the first residents to move in. 

“I’ve always taken care of my life,” Hudson said in her new kitchen, decorated in pink with a sign that reads “the pink palace.” “I was in foster care. I never really had support. Being here and having that support from strangers is just indescribable.”

Hudson, 29, starts at Collin College in September to study diagnostic sonography, something she could not have afforded if not for her new rent, which at Jericho Village is scaled and based on income. She can also afford shoes for her kids now, and send them to good schools.

Related: How a North Texas project seeks to create a national model for solving housing instability

On Thursday, local leaders, politicians and community members celebrated the grand opening of the 2.5-acre, 38-unit housing development in Wylie seeking to create a nationally replicable model for bringing families out of housing instability. 

Hudson is one of more than 15 residents who have already moved in. 

“Every community needs this,” she said at the grand opening. 

The village includes nine residential buildings and a community center, but founder Janet Collinsworth said “the roofs themselves are not our goal.” 

At the core of the project is a commitment to long-term stability for families who move in that includes “empowerment support services” on the property, like financial coaching, case management, parenting classes, education assistance and workforce development.

Related: From CEO to minister: A call to help is changing women’s lives at a Plano shelter

These “wraparound services” will launch fully in the fall, Collinsworth said, although residents are already working with on-site case managers.

Collinsworth said the model ensures communities welcome residents across the workforce to live in the cities they serve — from teachers to firefighters and police officers. 

“Even with the economic vitality of our area, we still have people that are hurting and in need of services,” said state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Allen, who has applauded Collinsworth’s work. “It’s even more necessary now, as we continue to grow in population.”

The median rent in Texas is around $1,400, and it’s more than $1,860 in Collin County, according to 2023 U.S. Census data. That year, nearly 40% of residents in the county put more than a third of their income toward rent.

Housing costs have increased steadily. In 2021, the median rent in the county was around $1,560, and in 2016, it was roughly $1,250.

The village doesn’t just provide housing that’s affordable but seeks to offer a solution for a “severe lack of attainable housing,” Collinsworth said, by giving applicants a second chance; whereas at other properties, past evictions and other barriers in background checks can make it hard to find a place to live.

“Affordability is not the only thing that keeps some of our community from being able to rent,” Collinsworth said. 

The project is an initiative of Agape Resource & Assistance Center, the Plano nonprofit Collinsworth founded to help women, moms and their children facing situational homelessness. Several families from Agape’s program are expected to live in or have already moved into Jericho Village. 

When giving tours of the village, Collinsworth says she often hears remarks like “I never would have expected anything like this,” or “This doesn’t look like affordable housing.” The goal, she said, was a dignified, comfortable place residents could be proud of. 

The seven years and millions of dollars in funding the project took are all worth it to see families find a new home, she said. Hundreds of guests celebrated the opening with tours, food trucks, face painting and a ribbon-cutting at the property. 

“These last couple of weeks have really been affirming and very emotional as we watch our villagers move in and just see all the smiles,” Collinsworth said. “This is why we did it.”

The faith-based project has been applauded by officials like U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner and U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-McKinney. Local leaders such as Wylie Mayor Mattew Porter have also supported the project. 

Related: How Wylie is addressing Collin County’s affordable housing crisis

“Jericho Village opens the doors for so many, providing sustainable, wraparound support for individuals and our entire community,” Porter said in a statement. “We are excited to welcome Jericho Village and its residents to Wylie.”

The community has been happy to help throughout the process and during residents’ move-in. When some residents arrived without furniture, community partners helped furnish their new homes, Collinsworth said. The wooden beams of the property were prayed over, and messages of hope and encouragement are written under the fresh coats of paint. 

Collinsworth hopes the model, and its commitment to stabilizing families and making housing attainable, is duplicated. 

“Jericho should not be the one and only,” she said. “We should have multiple Jericho Villages.”

Email tips on all things Collin County to lilly.kersh@dallasnews.com.