Construction workers are preparing the site in Wylie where the future Jericho Village will sit. The groundbreaking was a month ago, but the vision for the development has been six years in the making.
"I really never thought this day would come," Rev. Janet Collinsworth said, looking at the work site. "I never even considered having, or building, or developing affordable housing, but I'm honored to be able to do this because it's a huge, huge need in our community."
Collinsworth started Agape, a nonprofit that helps women and single mothers facing homelessness, after a mid-life decision to go back to school at SMU to study theology. She intended the education to help her teach her daughter's confirmation classes, but the education was life-changing. Collinsworth left her successful CPA business and dove into the nonprofit world.
"To do something that was not just fulfilling for me and for our family, but more fulfilling for our community," Collinsworth said. "Part of our call is to help those women and their children overcome whatever caused them to be homeless and move onto fulfilling self-sustaining lives."
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Agape was helping do that with housing, education, and wrap-around services, but Collinsworth wanted to do more to help keep the nonprofit's graduates from sliding back into homelessness.
"When all the rents started escalating just out of control our women couldn't afford to graduate, even if they had doubled their income through education, they didn't have enough to pay the exorbitant rents," Collinsworth said.
Jericho Village will have nine residential buildings with 38 units. She said the architect, developer, attorneys, and engineers on Jericho Village have all donated their time. Community donations have helped pay half of the building costs.
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The rent at Jericho Village will be income-based, with wrap-around services on-site to help women and single mothers build a strong foundation.
"We're providing a solution to potential homelessness and therefore homeless prevention," Collinsworth said. "I hope they feel like they have finally come home."
Collinsworth hopes to have people moving into Jericho Village by Christmas 2025.
