Earlier this week, in what has been nearly a decade-long in the making, Woodland Opportunity Village and Friends of the Mission celebrated the grand opening of Woodland’s newest “tiny home” community, otherwise known as Freeman Garden Court.
Nearly 100 community members, including elected officials such as Mayor Pro Tempore Mayra Vega and councilmembers David Moreno and Tania Garcia Cadena, as well as Yolo County Supervisor Mary Sandy, were in attendance Friday afternoon to help celebrate the grand opening, alongside various board members from both Friends of the Mission and Opportunity Village.
Scott Thurmon, executive director of Friends of the Mission; Janet Ruggiero, board member with Friends of the Mission; and Kathy Trottt, president of the Woodland Opportunity Village Board of Directors, began the proceedings by discussing the long journey to the ribbon-cutting celebration.
Following an invocation from Pastor Lary Love, Vega came up for a few words before Sandy came up.
“What a difference a year makes…,” Sandy began. “…What an extraordinary place this is. It’s a place of beauty. I love the ‘Yolo way.’ I don’t know who coined the phrase the Yolo Way, but Don Saylor was quoted in something I read recently that said, ‘It’s all about people stepping outside of their silos, doing right by other people, and working in partnership between our jurisdictional boundaries.’ It’s about communication and collaboration, but also about push and grit and an absolute unwillingness to take no for an answer.
“This is a place we should all be proud of, and I’m very proud. As Janet said, I’m very moved to stand here for a ribbon-cutting for something that my husband, Gary Sandy, former supervisor, former mayor, former city council member, was deeply involved with. He sat in backyards and visualized with people on how to get housing, moving into places, and for the people that we need it. The collaboration between Woodland Opportunity Village, Friends of the Mission, and Yolo Housing is that all three can come together to make this happen. I’m deeply proud to sit with all of you and cut this ribbon.”
Following Sandy were Nir Pearlson with AIA, Aligned Architecture, Garcia-Cadena, and then Yolo County Housing Authority Executive Director and ‘closer’ for the evening, Ian Evans.
Before officially concluding the program, Trott stepped back up to the microphone to provide insight into those currently living there.
According to Trott, all tenants range in age from their 20s to the 70s, with most from Woodland. Two of the tenants had previously lived at the Woodland Hotel for seven and 12 years, respectively. One person works 15 hours a week for FedEx and is going to school, while another is a retired plumber. One person has lived at the Yolo County Shelter for four years and has become a trusted person and key volunteer. Three people are doubling up and staying with family members. One person had to leave a condemned situation and has been living in her car for the past seven months and the last person mentioned has been in Woodland for 36 years and works providing in-home health care services for Yolo County.
“These are the people who are our neighbors, and they are one of us,” Trott said. “Any of them could be one of us, and we need housing like this. They are coming to a beautiful, safe place that will be a community.
So, in conclusion, who has our next property? I’m here to talk.”
Freeman Garden Court, located at 334 Freeman St., on the southeast corner of Freeman and Kentucky Avenue, is a collection of 12 small permanent duplexed homes for a mix of very-low-income and low-income residents.
Each permanent home meets the California building code, has a slab foundation, and features a living area, kitchen, one bedroom, a three-piece bathroom, storage space, and a front porch, all contained within 385 square feet. The homes will be powered by electricity and solar energy.
Along with the homes will be a community building that includes laundry facilities, an office, a gathering room with a catering kitchen, an ADA bathroom, and a patio with a shade cover.
According to previous Daily Democrat reporting, Thurmon stated the complex will cost around $4 million upon completion and urged people to continue donating to the effort, noting that each unit costs about $300,000.
Earlier in the week, Dignity Health, through its CommonSpirit Health’s Homeless Health Initiative, invested $125,000 to the project.
“Dignity Health’s investment provided the critical support needed to bring Freeman Garden Court fully to life,” Trott previously stated. “This funding means we can finally provide truly permanent homes, tailored with the right supports, for individuals who have been navigating substandard housing and homelessness. It’s more than just housing; it’s a pathway to independence and dignity.”
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