EAST TAMPA — A tiny home village for East Tampa veterans has been approved. Ten homes will be brought online with a $500,000 project investment.

Dr. Mark T. Jones Sr. founded Manifestations Worldwide Inc. 23 years ago.

“Our vision is to provide spiritual training, leadership, education, jobs and affordable housing to our community,” said Jones.

Jones said that the Tiny Home Village for Veterans had slow progress in the beginning but is finally getting off the ground two years later.

“To build a tiny home village in the middle of East Tampa, it’s never been done before,” said Jones.

“It took the city a while to sort out how it would fit into the framework of the community. But the good thing about it is that it’s patternable which means now people can take it and do it, which is what we want.”

Contractors have begun building eight homes, but the project is zoned for 10.

“There will be two buildings here, and the other six buildings will be here,” said Jones.

In 2024, the Department of Veterans Affairs set goals to permanently house at least 41,000 homeless veterans and ensure that 95% of them do not return to homelessness within the year. They also plan to engage with 40,000 unsheltered veterans to provide them with housing.

“We find that veterans like to live alone,” said Jones.

Jones says his Veteran Village makes that possible. Veterans accepted into the home with a voucher won’t have to pay rent, according to Jones. Tenants will also split the share of utilities and water.

“We’re targeting veterans who've made sacrifices for our country, and this is one our churches give backs,” said Jones.

Jones says this allows veterans to age in a secure, affordable home.