First eight Elevate Community tiny homes to be lifted into place

The Branson area community is invited to watch at the construction site when a 90-ton crane that is over 200 feet tall will lift the first eight, fully-constructed tiny homes and place them on their permanent foundations. This milestone for Elevate Community is expected to take the majority of two days, March 18 and 19, but may be impacted by weather conditions or other factors. Guests are welcome to come and go at their convenience, anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on both days. A safe and shaded viewing area will be provided at the construction site.

“It’s an exciting time for this project. The first eight of 70 homes will be permanently put into place for our neighbors who need them,” explained Bryan Stallings, co-founder with his wife Amy, of Elevate Branson, the nonprofit visionary and developer of this neighborhood. “It’s another step forward toward addressing the huge affordable housing shortage in our area.”

Branson’s thriving tourism industry relies heavily on a dedicated, frontline workforce. Elevate Community aims to address the critical need for affordable and dignified housing for these workers, while also offering wrap-around services and a pathway to greater stability and well-being for the long term.

“We believe that everyone deserves a safe and supportive place to call home, and this community will provide that for the working poor and others who need affordable housing in our area,” said Stallings.

Elevate Community will offer a convenient and stable home, and as a connected element to the Elevate Branson Campus, residents will have easy access to employment education, transportation options, healthcare services, kids’ programs, and more. Elevate Branson helps neighbors, help themselves.

Participants find purpose, make connections, and develop the skills and authentic relationships they need to prosper.

Almost $7 million for the project has been assembled from publicly funded grants and programs along with various private benefactors who are partnering with Elevate Community to turn this vision into reality.

“This isn’t a temporary fix or transitional housing,” Stallings added. “It’s a long term, sustainable solution for this area and possibly other areas with similar needs.”

The project’s next steps are connecting utilities for the first eight homes and securing occupancy permits. Then, the homes will be furnished with the necessities, and the first residents will move in, while additional homes are added to the site.