COLUMBUS, OHIO — With certain parts of Ohio seeing their population on the rise, it’s making it harder for some people to find housing, especially veterans, people released from prison and teens coming out of foster care.
What You Need To Know
- Vista Village is a tiny housing development designed to tackle the housing shortage for those experiencing homelessness or on the verge of it
- The village also offers services ranging from job training to health, wellness and life skills
- Vista Village in Columbus is hoping to start welcoming residents in next month
But Vista Village may be one solution to the problem.
Vista Village is a tiny housing development designed to tackle the housing shortage for those experiencing homelessness or on the verge of it.
"People who come to live at this village are people who, for example, have been incarcerated for 10, 15, 20 years," Executive Director of Vista Village Lexi Rogers said. "One of the biggest risk factors for recidivism is a lack of safe housing. Another group would be youth who are aging out the foster care system who basically are emancipated with nowhere to move into, and veterans experiencing homelessness."
The village offers services ranging from job training to health, wellness and life skills.
"A lot of times access to services is a huge barrier as to why people don't make it to appointments, why people can't access different programs, Rogers said, “and so we thought that by making these available to them at our community center just steps away from their front door, it will alleviate a lot of the difficulties "
But this development isn’t intended to be permanent housing. People will be living here for 18 to 24 months with the goal of living independently after that."
While Rogers can't personally relate to the challenges some of residents moving here may have faced, she has a lot to give.
"My grandma was a social worker, my mom was a social worker. It's kind of in my DNA,” Rogers said. “But from the time I was little, I've always kind of rooted for the underdog."
Vista Village in Columbus is hoping to start welcoming residents in next month.