Wylie Faith-Based Housing Community Jericho Village Holds Soft Opening

Dozens of community leaders, donors, volunteers and supporters gathered in Wylie on Saturday, March 7, to celebrate the soft opening of Jericho Village, a 2.5-acre, 38-unit housing development that its founders believe could become a nationally replicable answer to housing instability.

The project, developed and operated by the nonprofit Agape Resource & Assistance Center, spans 10 buildings on its Wylie campus, including nine residential buildings and a community center. It sits roughly 30 miles north of Dallas in Collin County, a region that has seen rapid population growth alongside rising housing costs.

Jericho Village's central premise is that shelter alone is not enough. The development operates under what Agape calls the HousingPLUS model, pairing income-based rent with onsite wraparound supportive services: healthcare access, childcare support, financial literacy and budgeting instruction, workforce development, and transportation assistance. The combination is intended to move families from housing instability toward long-term self-sufficiency.

"Just putting someone in an apartment to get them off the street, that is not sustainable unless they have empowerment services to help them become who they can be," said Janet Collinsworth, founder and CEO of Jericho Village and founder of Agape Resource & Assistance Center.

The project drew federal attention before its doors officially opened. On February 9, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and his staff toured the Wylie site, spotlighting Jericho Village as a model for faith-based partnerships in affordable housing work. Turner's visit carried symbolic weight given the current administration's emphasis on expanding the role of faith communities in federally supported housing programs.

"For too long, our faith-based partners were excluded from HUD's work supporting our most vulnerable citizens," Turner said in a statement. "Jericho Village shows how affordable housing, paired with supportive services, brings hope and dignity to families in need."

Turner also pointed to a broader ambition beyond the Collin County site. "Working alongside our partners in the faith community, we are now bridging resources and helping more Americans achieve homeownership and self-sustainability," he said.

One speaker at the soft opening celebration, whose name was not confirmed in available accounts, underscored the multi-generational stakes of the model. "It's great to give someone a place to stay," he said. "But the wrap-around care that is part of this model sets it apart. It provides a way to change the outcome … the influence that will have on multiple generations of a family is what makes this so special."

Agape and Jericho Village describe their approach as a proven, scalable framework built through faith-based partnerships and community collaboration. The organizations' mission centers on strengthening families through attainable housing and supportive services, with an explicit goal of generational impact rather than short-term relief.

More information about Jericho Village, including its HousingPLUS model and services, is available at hope4agape.org/jericho-village.