Manteca civic and community leaders are celebrating the first phase of The Way Veteran Village with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 10 p.m.

The new tiny home community providing veterans with supportive transitional housing, access to services, and a pathway toward stability, wellness and permanent housing is being created in an underutilized parking lot area of The Way Church at North Street and Roosevelt Avenue.

The City of Manteca secured the first three tiny modular housing units for The Way Veteran Center using a $281,000 in Behavioral Health Bridge Housing funds from San Joaquin County.

The funds will cover the cost of two single bed units and one double bed unit that are referred to as WellNest pods.

The smallest 200 square-foot house includes a bedroom, bathroom, and a living area with a kitchenette.

The WellNest pods are ADA-accessible with high ceilings and can be powered via solar battery.

The county, in addition to passing the funds on to the city to be used by its partnership with The Way Church, is also committing to providing the cost to cover the rent and making on-site mental health services available for at least five years.

The Way Veteran Village is the vision of The Way Church to help homeless veterans and those veterans at risk of being homeless.

It will eventually have 12 to 15 tiny modular homes grouped together.

The City of Manteca is supporting the church’s effort to apply for a $3.5 million Homekey+ grant to fund the rest of the project in collaboration with The WellNest Group.

Manteca is the lead applicant to the California Department of Housing and Community Development grant program.

The proposed development of modular homes is designed to be fully accessible for mobility, hearing, and vision disabilities.

The project site offers existing infrastructure connections and will be improved with grading, utility hookups, pathways, green space, and drought-tolerant landscaping.

The design encourages neighborhood interaction while ensuring privacy, incorporates sustainable stormwater management practices, and provides safe, energy-efficient lighting.

The tenants would be veterans that are now homeless as well as those who are underhoused, unsuitably housed, or facing eviction.

The model being used in Manteca has more than 100 beneficiaries so far statewide.

It uses faith-based leadership, construction experts, ADU innovators, and nonprofit care providers to “united and empower local veterans.”

The church hopes the community will work with them to get all homeless veterans in Manteca off the street.

They also hope other churches in Manteca with available land space might follow suit to build additional tiny homes for the homeless.

Since 2019, The Way church has been providing a safe parking program for the homeless, who can park overnight and sleep in their vehicles.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com