A small El Cajon tiny-home village that provides emergency shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness is preparing to expand after organizers said the program has helped 64 people since opening in December 2022.

10News reported that Meridian-Amikas Village, located on the campus of Meridian Southern Baptist Church, currently has six emergency sleeping cabins. The nonprofit Amikas and the church are planning four additional tiny homes, with construction potentially beginning as early as September if the schedule holds.

The project is designed as temporary shelter while residents connect with services and work toward permanent housing. According to 10News, each tiny home costs less than $10,000 to build, and the City of El Cajon previously contributed $25,000 to support the effort.

For Santee and the rest of East County, the expansion is another example of smaller, site-based responses to homelessness being tested by churches, nonprofits and local governments. Housing pressure is a regional issue, and programs in neighboring El Cajon often shape the broader conversation about what practical shelter options can look like.

Organizers say the next phase would allow the village to serve more women and children in need. The original report is from ABC 10News San Diego.