Homeless of McMinnville Effort Begins Work On First Home Of Housing Project

The Homeless of McMinnville Effort has started on its first tiny home at its transitional housing project.

Co-Founder Shelia Fann said it was a surreal moment seeing the first nail driven at the Sunset Point Road location.

“We want them to feel like the have a place not only to lay their head, but also to lay their heart,” Fann said. “We have a great volunteer base that is there to support them.”

Fann said the organization estimates the first home to be completed and occupied by this fall. Fann said this is the beginning of phase one, which includes four homes in total and a community center.

“We work with the truly homeless,” Fann said, “We work for people that are truly displaced. For instance, we’ve been working with a young lady, and a good option for her is actually going to be the Cookeville Rescue Mission for now. What we do to bridge that gap currently is we have hotel rooms. Her excitement when she got into the rescue mission… Can you imagine her excitement if she got into something like this?”

Fann said besides having a place to sleep, the organization will provide career services, financial advice and other necessities to transition out of homelessness. Work on a second building will be coming soon with Center Town United Methodist donating $10,000 to the cause Sunday, Fann said.

Fann said the land at 946 Sunset Point Road was donated to the organization  by the city of McMinnville last month. Fann said a final plan is not concrete but the area has room for up to 40 tiny homes.