Pensacola diocese opens tiny-home village for low-income seniors

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee opened Trinity Village on May 1, turning a vacant lot behind its diocesan pastoral center into a nine-home micro-community for seniors at risk of homelessness. Each tiny home is about 300 square feet, and rent is set at $500 a month with utilities included.

The village sits at 820 W. Garden St., just a few blocks from Pensacola Bay, and was built as part of Trinity House LLC’s response to growing affordable-housing pressure in Pensacola and across Escambia County. Diocese officials said the project began development in the fall of 2024, broke ground in September 2024, and moved through construction during 2025 before opening this spring.

Trinity Village is aimed at low-income senior citizens experiencing housing insecurity, a population that often lives on fixed incomes and has few housing options left when rent rises. The homes include a sleeping area, kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom and on-site laundry, giving residents a compact but complete setup rather than a stripped-down shelter model.

The project also pairs housing with support. Case management and mentoring are built into the village, with help available for obtaining ID cards, driver’s licenses, Social Security cards and benefits, food stamps and other senior services. That mix of rental stability and direct services is what makes Trinity Village stand out from a simple tiny-home build.

Deacon Ray Aguado, executive director of Trinity House LLC, spearheaded the effort, and Bishop William Wack praised the village as a community coming together to support a vulnerable population. Nearly 100 guests attended the opening celebration, where the diocese recognized donors and partners who helped carry the project from concept to completion.

The Chadbourne-DeMaria Foundation contributed $300,000 for ground work and site work, while several families and individuals each gave at least $75,000 toward the nine homes. Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, Quina-Grundhoefer Architects, Sunchase Construction, McKim & Creed Engineering, Edwards Roofing and project manager Randy Hepworth were also named among the partners behind the build.

Connie Bookman of Pathways for Change and the Homeless Reduction Task Force of Northwest Florida said she was “in awe” of the diocese’s commitment, adding that there are well over a thousand more affordable rental units needed in Escambia County and the City of Pensacola. Trinity Village answers a small part of that shortage, but its blend of tiny homes, wraparound services and church-backed development now stands as a live test case for what a faith-led housing model can deliver.