Residents of eight tiny homes receive keys during ribbon cutting ceremony

In a touching and long-awaited event, Elevate Branson held a very special ribbon cutting to celebrate their first eight tiny homes that are ready for their occupants.

New residents of the first eight homes were joined by family, friends and members of the Branson community, the Branson and Hollister Chambers of Commerce and sponsors of the eight homes for this momentous occasion. Following a ribbon cutting for each home, the new residents received the keys to his or her new tiny home, and got to step inside for their first look at their furnished living quarters.

The tiny homes, located on Branson's Gretna Road, are part of the Elevate Community. The ribbon cutting for the first eight houses represents a major milestone in the project that, upon completion, will include 70 tiny homes, a chapel, an amphitheater, storage units and three micro-businesses. Elevate Community is located next to the Elevate Branson campus.

"We were honored to celebrate alongside our Tiny Home sponsors, whose belief in this community helped make this vision a reality. Seeing the first eight sponsored homes presented to their new residents was truly inspiring," said a representative of Elevate Community. "A heartfelt thank you to our donors, volunteers, staff, board members, Chamber partners and community members who came out in the rain to support this life changing initiative. Your generosity and commitment are helping create not just homes but a thriving community where neighbors can support one another."

One of the goals of Elevate Community is to provide not only housing, but a safe community and a sense of belonging for the residents. They will also help fill the ongoing need for safe and affordable housing in the Branson community. The tiny houses are designed for the area's front line workers, veterans, seniors, those with disabilities and others who need a safe place to call home. Each house is fully furnished and rents for $495 per month, including utilities. There are currently over 300 people on the waiting list to receive one of the Elevate Community tiny homes.

The first eight homes of the Elevate Community project were sponsored, but sponsors are still needed to complete the project. For more information about the tiny home project and how you might become a sponsor, visit their website, elevatebranson.org/elevate-community/.