On April 20, Vincent Scallion turned eighteen and was presented with a terrifying prospect that many youth in the foster care system face: the potential for homelessness. Rather than confronting an unknown future, Scallion relocated to Pensacola’s Fresh Start Village, a recently constructed seven-unit tiny home community created to assist young adults transitioning out of foster care.
Providing Stability for Foster Youth
Scallion moved into the community as one of the first inhabitants two days after turning eighteen, and this has given him stability and the chance to go to college. “It was definitely an adjustment. I’ve had to get used to being an adult and learning to fend for myself,” Scallion shared. He credits the staff at his former group home for helping him prepare for this transition. “If they hadn’t, I probably would have been floundering.”
Scallion is now enrolled in college, concentrating on general studies, with the intention of enrolling in the fall semester of Pensacola State College’s culinary school. His ultimate objective is to create a pub and grill with his brother Isaac, focusing on their mutual love of geek culture. Scallion views Fresh Start Village as a pivotal moment in his life that provides the tools and encouragement he needs to get ahead.
Fresh Start Village was established by the nonprofit organization AMR in Pensacola and is situated on a 0.44-acre plot of land near the intersection of Blount Street and Pace Boulevard. There are seven 400-square-foot small homes in the village, each with a front porch, a separate bedroom, a bathroom, and a combined living, dining, and kitchen space. The dwellings, a community facility, site preparation, utilities, and infrastructure are all included in the about $1 million complex.
The board president of AMR at Pensacola, Kevin Hagen, stressed the value of giving young individuals transitioning out of foster care a “hand up.” He emphasized the critical need for these programs, pointing out that in the four counties of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton, about 200 teenagers leave the foster care system annually.
“At age 18, kids still in the foster care system are on their own. They are no longer a ward of the state,” Hagen explained. “The state does provide them with a stipend to continue with their lives and give them a start—that is why this community is named Fresh Start Village.”
The Impact and Future of Fresh Start Village
According to Goodman, Fresh Start Village is evidence of the group’s dedication to resolving this problem because it provides both financial support and a feeling of community and belonging. Mayor DC Reeves of Pensacola reiterated these ideas, lauding the initiative as an example of how the community can work together to tackle urgent local problems.
The village is the outcome of intense neighborhood cooperation. The property for the project was given by Baptist Health Care, and the development was partially funded by a $120,000 grant from IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area. Judges Ross and Marci Goodman made other noteworthy gifts, contributing $150,000 toward the building of the community/education/laundry facility that currently bears their names. The Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis, and Overholtz legal company, the Sandy Sansing Family, a number of private citizens, and neighborhood companies were among the other backers.
According to Jim Reeves, AMR at Pensacola’s board attorney, Fresh Start Village might serve as a model project to be duplicated in other places, giving more former foster youngsters access to much-needed affordable housing. “This is an experiment where we are trying to do two things: provide housing that is not available and turn these young people who are here into responsible citizens and adults,” Reeves said.
Tenants can remain in the village as long as necessary, provided they continue their education or are able to pay rent once their state funding ends. Hagen hopes it will serve as a springboard to independent adulthood, offering a stable foundation for these young people to build their futures.
