Little Rock, Arkansas – A major step toward solving homelessness in Little Rock is now visibly taking shape in the southern part of the city, where construction crews are working on a long-awaited micro-home village. The site, located off Roosevelt Road, is part of a citywide effort that has been years in the making—and could offer shelter, stability, and services for more than 200 people currently living without a home.
Described as “transitional housing” by Kevin Howard, the city’s Housing and Neighborhood Programs Director, the village is designed to support unsheltered individuals who are homeless and living on the streets. “It’s transitional housing,” Howard explained. “For the unsheltered individuals that are homeless on the street.”
The idea for the project was first introduced back in 2019, as a collaboration between Howard and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. The goal has remained the same since then: to help those in need move from instability to permanent housing with the aid of supportive services.
The layout of the new facility will be a combination of a centralized community center and small, individual housing units—micro-homes designed for private, short-term residency. Each unit will be equipped with a sanitary bathroom, a feature that became mandatory after federal guidelines changed during the planning process.
“We’re using federal funds to do the non-congregated units,” Howard said. “And so the federal government required that you have to have sanitary bathrooms in each one of the units.”
The funding in question comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and those guidelines contributed to delays in construction. Although ground was broken more than two years ago, actual building only began in the last 45 days. The original plan included shared bathroom facilities, but after that concept was rejected due to federal requirements, the city had to revisit permitting and redesigns—steps that significantly slowed progress.
Despite the setbacks, work is finally moving ahead, with hopes to open doors to residents in 2026. Construction will begin with the central community center, which is expected to take three to four months, possibly longer. Once that structure is completed, work on the micro-home units will begin.
This development isn’t just about providing shelter. It’s also about equipping people with tools and services to build a stable future. “We’ll have training. We’ll have laundry, we’ll have a place where people can get assistance through health services and mental health services here at the micro home village, as well as work with a case manager on a day-to-day basis,” Howard said.
Those services are key to the project’s long-term success. By giving residents access to job training, healthcare, and case management, the city hopes to break the cycle of homelessness rather than just provide temporary shelter.
Howard noted that Little Rock’s current homeless population is estimated to be around 1,000 people. That number reflects those living unsheltered as well as those in emergency shelters or temporary housing. The village will initially serve around 220 individuals, but officials see it as a vital piece in a broader strategy to reduce homelessness to what’s known as “functional zero”—a state where every person experiencing homelessness has access to temporary housing.
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. has made that goal a central part of his administration’s agenda. The micro-home village is one of several efforts designed to bring lasting change to vulnerable communities in Little Rock.
As construction moves ahead and planning continues, the city is expected to share updates on timelines and progress. For now, Howard and his team are focused on getting the community center finished and moving toward housing as many individuals as possible, as soon as it’s safe and ready.
For many, the project represents hope—a fresh start in a place built not just with walls and roofs, but with compassion and purpose.
