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A model 400-square-foot house is temporarily located in the parking lot of Elevate Branson’s campus at 310 Gretna Road to promote Elevate Community.
Photo provided by Elevate Branson
A model 400-square-foot house is temporarily located in the parking lot of Elevate Branson’s campus at 310 Gretna Road to promote Elevate Community.

Branson nonprofit starts tiny homes development

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With help from Eden Village in Springfield, the nonprofit Elevate Branson is starting a tiny homes development in the tourist city.

Officials yesterday delivered and unloaded a 400-square-foot home model at Elevate Branson's 310 Gretna Road headquarters. The house is on loan from Eden Village II, which is in development at 3155 W. Brower St. in Springfield.

While Eden Village's target audience is the chronically homeless, the Branson development dubbed Elevate Community is designed for those who are on a fixed income living at or below the poverty line – some of whom live in extended stay motels, said Elevate Branson co-founder Bryan Stallings.

“We want to offer them an opportunity for fair housing so that they’re not living in substandard housing and they can get stabilized,” Stallings said. “Then, possibly at some point, they transition out of the tiny houses and into something larger.”

Elevate Community is planned on 5 acres just north of the nonprofit’s campus. Two phases are in the works, with 48 total homes slated to open next year and in 2022.

The Herschend Family Foundation donated the land, and Elevate Branson is seeking grant opportunities to pay for clearing and infrastructure work.

“We won’t know exactly until we go through the engineering process, but we’re probably looking at $2 million in infrastructure costs for the whole five acres,” he said.

Similar to the Eden Village model, Elevate Branson will seek $35,000 sponsorships to cover the costs of the homes.

In Springfield, Eden Village II is preparing to welcome its first residents by November, said Nate Schlueter, chief visionary officer for the nonprofit. The 24-home community follows the opening of the original 31-home development at 2801 E. Division St. in August 2018.

For more on the Branson tiny homes development, read the upcoming article in Springfield Business Journal’s Aug. 3 print edition.

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