About the Village
Community First! Village is a master planned neighborhood that provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community—what MLF refers to as our forged family—for men and women coming out of homelessness.
Today, Community First! Village occupies 51 acres on Hog Eye Road in northeast Travis County. It is currently home to more than 370 formerly homeless neighbors, and will soon provide housing and community for as many as 500 of our friends who once struggled to survive on the streets of Austin.
Now is the time to multiply the goodness of Community First! Village and build more homes for more neighbors. We know that homelessness can be mitigated by providing an affordable, permanent home in a supportive community for those who need it most.
In 2023, we began infrastructure work for the expansion of the Village. The expansion includes two new properties which will add a combined 127 additional acres to the existing property with room for 1400 more homes. Once fully developed, Community First! Village will have 1900 homes and neighborhood support buildings spread across 178 acres.
Hog Eye Road Expansion
Burleson Road Expansion
Creating “Communities within a Community”
The Community First! Village expansion incorporates a site design which MLF refers to as “Neighborhoods of Knowingness.” This approach combines a mix of home models grouped around a common area and shared community buildings, allowing neighbors to connect more regularly in a shared area of the neighborhood.
Multiply Your Goodness
In September 2021, Travis County earmarked $35 million of American Rescue Plan funds for the Burleson expansion of Community First! Village.
On Giving Tuesday 2021, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation announced a commitment of $36.6 million to Multiplying Goodness, the capital campaign for Community First! Village which will fund an additional 1,400 homes for Central Texans coming out of chronic homelessness. Through our planning, we estimate that $225 million is needed to develop the expansion. The Foundation is inviting the community to match the funds to help us reach this goal.
To learn more or schedule a tour, contact our Relationships & Giving Team at relationships@mlf.org.
We are building hope every day!
