Homes for the Homeless Austin – Jenkins Custom Homes is partnering with Community First! Village to build two homes for the homeless in Austin. Community First! Village is a 27-acre master-planned community that will provide affordable, sustainable housing and a supportive community for the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas.

This non-profit endeavor is designed to provide not only housing but also an opportunity to recover and move forward in life. A well-thought-out plan for truly helping residents, the Community First! Village includes the following:

• A community garden featuring fruit- and nut-bearing trees and vegetables
• A chicken operation, bee hives producing fresh honey, and aquaponics
• A workshop with tool bank and art gallery for micro-enterprise opportunities
• A medical facility for physical and mental health screenings and support services including hospice and respite care
• Walking trails
• An outdoor theater and bed & breakfast for mission visits
• CAP Metro bus stop
• WiFi

Jenkins will be building two homes for the village. Generous material donations (through the efforts of McCoys Building Supply) have allowed the material cost of each home to be minimized, which really makes this all possible. The Jenkins team is committed to providing both the labor and materials for both homes, and their staff of 12 team members will be the actual hands and feet on this project (along with a few additional volunteers).

The real story here is the amazing consortium of custom home builders in Austin who have stepped up to participate in this effort. Custom home builders are typically small businesses without a lot of capital, and the list of custom home builders who have agreed to build these homes is truly astounding. The list of builders reads like a “who’s who” best in class rather than a list of volunteers. Shan Jenkins was present at the meeting of local custom home builders when the idea was presented to the group. Without hesitation, the volunteers came forward. “Some things you just do because you know it’s the right thing to do,” says Jenkins.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help build homes for the homeless, please do so at the bottom of the page at Community First! Village. You can even specify Jenkins Custom Homes in the notes if you wish, and this will help us cover the materials needed to build the two homes. If you’d like to come out and help with the labor on the project, we would love that as well (particularly if you have a skill!). Let us know that you are interested, and we will get you the specific dates of construction.