Knox County breaks ground on 20 tiny homes for veterans

Knox County leaders gathered Tuesday at the Public Defender’s Office, 1101 Liberty Street, to break ground on Operation Hero’s Hill, a county-led plan to construct 20 permanent tiny homes and an on-site community center for veterans experiencing homelessness. Mayor Glenn Jacobs joined U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, Knoxville Community Development Corporation executive Ben Bentley and other officials at the 10:00 a.m. ceremony to mark the start of a staged buildout that county officials say will provide stable, dignified housing for veterans.

The planned community center will include a computer lab, laundry facilities and flexible meeting space to support residents, and organizers describe the project as permanent tiny-home housing aimed at ending veteran homelessness in Knox County. Project leaders expect Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation to operate the village when units are finished, and project organizers list the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and KCDC as key partners to handle case management and property operations.

Fundraising and material donations are already part of the effort: philanthropic support from Arnold Ventures was acknowledged at the ceremony, and D.R. Horton has committed building materials. Organizers are working to raise roughly $1.2 million to furnish the homes and finish out the community center, with homes scheduled to come online in stages as funding and construction progress.

Workforce and training are built into the project model. Knox County Schools Career and Technical Education students will construct the homes under the guidance of skilled-trade mentors and industry partners, and participants in reentry programs at the Knox County Detention Facility will also work alongside mentors on the builds. Mayor Jacobs framed the effort as both symbolic and practical: “This has been an entire community project,” and “We’re building a bridge between generations, young people building homes for the hero’s who came before them.”

Officials emphasized the project is one step in a larger effort. Mayor Jacobs noted that while the 20-home village will house veterans, there remain about 140 veterans in Knox County experiencing homelessness, and he urged continued work toward ending veteran homelessness: “That means we keep working, we keep building, we keep pushing until that number reaches zero.” Jacobs also addressed veterans directly at the ceremony: “To the veterans out there today, you are not forgotten. You are not invisible. And you are not alone. This hill is for you.”

Logistics announced for the groundbreaking included parking across Division Street at the TCAT Automotive Technology Building for attendees. Media inquiries may be directed to Rylie McClurg at the Knox County press office, office (865) 215-4579 or cell (865) 705-1681. Project leaders say the county will release more details on timeline, move-in phases and eligibility as fundraising and construction milestones are met.