Graham Groundbreaking Launches Tiny Home Community for Women
Benevolence Farm held a groundbreaking on November 20 in Graham for what organizers describe as North Carolina's first tiny home community designed specifically for formerly incarcerated women, a roughly $1.1 million project backed by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and other donors. The development promises private, single person units as an alternative to congregate reentry settings, with a planned ribbon cutting and move in timeline in 2026.
Benevolence Farm formally broke ground on November 20 in Graham for a seven unit tiny home community intended to provide independent transitional housing for formerly incarcerated women. Organizers said the project will create one person units with a full kitchen and bath, washer and dryer, and living space, designed to offer privacy and a non institutional environment rather than a congregate setting. The project is scheduled for a ribbon cutting and move in during 2026.
Funding for the roughly 1.1 million dollar development included major support from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency alongside other donors. North Carolina First Lady Anna Stein delivered keynote remarks at the ceremony, underscoring state level interest in housing solutions linked to reentry. Benevolence Farm staff and formerly incarcerated women who helped design the units emphasized privacy and design choices intended to avoid institutional features, for example no loft bunks.
Organizers outlined that residents will need to meet eligibility criteria and will pay small, affordable rent while they work toward independent living. The model is presented as an alternative to traditional congregate reentry programs, aiming to provide stability and autonomy during the transition from incarceration to community life. Local advocates have argued that private transitional housing can reduce barriers to employment and recidivism and allow residents to rebuild household routines.
For Alamance County residents the project has multiple implications. It adds a specialized housing option at a time when affordable units are scarce, and it positions Graham as a testing ground for a model that could be replicated elsewhere in the state. State agency investment signals a policy emphasis on linking housing to reentry outcomes, and the project may influence how local governments and service providers allocate resources for supportive services. Organizers expect the site to open in 2026, and local stakeholders will be watching how eligibility, rent levels, and supportive services affect resident stability and community integration.
