New Vision to Support Development of Tiny House Villages across Appalachia

Across Appalachia and beyond, young people aging out of foster care face a system that is fragmented, under-coordinated, and often stacked against them. New Vision Renewable Energy (NVRE) was created to change that.

In January, New Vision’s housing-plus-employment model is serving as the blueprint for a multi-state planning effort supported by an Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE Planning Grant, Appalachian Employment and Transformation Planning Initiative – Yielding Economic Stability & Success (YESS Appalachia). Mississippi hosted a powerful site visit in West Point, led by Dream Center Golden Triangle, bringing together cross-state partners to learn and plan together. Attendees included Marshall University (West Virginia), The Christos Foundation and Operation Gateway (North Carolina), and San Mar Family and Community Services (Maryland). Together, partners explored how New Vision Renewable Energy’s model, grounded in stable housing, workforce pathways, and strong community partnerships, can be adapted and scaled to support young adults ages 18–25 aging out of foster care.

As national attention turns toward sustainable solutions for youth transitions, New Vision Renewable Energy is proud to contribute a model born in rural Appalachia and now informing work across state lines. This is what it looks like when local innovation becomes national learning, and when communities decide that young people aging out of care deserve more than a patchwork of services.

Thank you to our host state partner, Dream Center Golden Triangle in West Point, Mississippi, for bringing together passionate, like-minded partners from across states for these meaningful site visits and strategy sessions!