A Cincinnati nonprofit is in a sprint to build what would be Hamilton County’s first tiny home village for veterans on a long-vacant lot tucked behind Gaines United Methodist Church in Madisonville. Instead of a short-term shelter, the plan focuses on permanent supportive housing: 14 rental tiny homes grouped around shared green space with a dog park, gardens, and community rooms. Organizers say they have to raise $750,000 by June 30 to unlock a conditional $1 million Hamilton County grant and push the project into the construction phase.
What the village would include
As reported by WKRC Local 12, Tiny Homes for Humanity says the village would pair those small houses with big support: case management, health care assistance, and life-skills training. Organizers told the station that more than 6,000 people were unhoused in Hamilton County in 2025, including roughly 500 veterans, a figure they point to as evidence that the need is not going away. “There is a tremendous need, well beyond temporary or emergency housing, for permanent housing,” retired architect Earl Crossland said in a media release cited by the station.
Site and partners
The group has locked in a roughly three-quarter-acre site donated by Gaines United Methodist Church, which lists its address as 5707 Madison Rd on the Gaines United Methodist Church website, and Pastor Paula Stewart told WLWT that the partnership sets an example for how churches can use land to help vulnerable residents. Church leaders say the building on the property could host case managers and community activities for residents without requiring anyone to participate in worship. Officials caution that using the site for housing still depends on fundraising, county approvals, and any zoning changes the project might need.
Funding and timeline
According to the Tiny Homes for Humanity's website, the nonprofit must raise $750,000 by June 30 to unlock a conditional $1 million Hamilton County grant that would cover infrastructure and site work. The group has a donation page and volunteer sign-up on its site, and organizers say hitting that fundraising mark is the immediate milestone before design, permitting, or construction can start. Organizers also plan to coordinate with veterans' services and to use programs such as HUD-VASH to help residents afford rent, a strategy highlighted in regional coverage of the plan by WCPO.
Neighbors and next steps
Madisonville neighbors have been brought into the loop early. Meeting notes show the Madisonville Community Council voted to write letters of support for the proposal and for any zoning variances it might need. Signal Cincinnati reported that residents asked detailed questions about services and safety during a March presentation, and some pushed project leaders to hire locally. Organizers say those conversations are still going as they work toward formal approvals and eventual site preparation.
How this fits into county efforts
The tiny home push is landing at a time when county officials and nonprofits are wrestling with a deep affordable-housing gap. Regional United Methodist coverage notes that Cincinnati faces an affordable-housing shortfall of roughly 40,000 units and highlights more than 6,000 people counted as unhoused in Hamilton County in 2025, framing the village as a targeted, small-scale response. The West Ohio Conference and local reporting have also pointed to earlier county investments that helped seed tiny home concepts. Commissioners boosted the county affordable-housing fund late last year, a move advocates say could make small projects more feasible.
