Our First Community
Tampa, Florida
A place to call home.
A community to belong to.
A new beginning.
Open Loving Arms is working to bring its first community to life in Tampa, Florida, a place where people from different walks of life and different stages of life can come together, support one another, and discover that each of us has something meaningful to give.
Our first community will have 10 private homes, thoughtfully arranged to encourage relationships, connection, and a true sense of community.
3homesMothers & Children
Mothers experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and, eventually, their children.
3homesFamilies Building a New Life
Families who have legally immigrated to the United States and are working to establish a new beginning.
3homesIndependent Seniors
Independent seniors who want both community and purpose.
1homeCommunity Leader
Lives alongside the residents and helps support the community.
But Open Loving Arms is about much more than providing a house.
A Community Built Around Belonging
At the heart of the property will be shared spaces where relationships can grow naturally. Places to gather around a table, celebrate birthdays, help a child with homework, learn new skills, share a cup of coffee, or simply spend time together.
The community is envisioned to include:
Each family or resident will have the dignity and privacy of their own home while also being part of something larger.
Why We Bring Generations Together
We believe some of life’s greatest gifts are found in the relationships we build with one another.
Open Loving Arms brings together mothers experiencing unexpected pregnancies, families who have legally immigrated to the United States, and independent seniors because each comes to the community with different experiences, different needs, and different gifts to share.
Rather than creating three separate programs, our hope is to create one community where relationships develop naturally and neighbors have opportunities to help one another.
Mothers and Their Children
A mother experiencing an unexpected pregnancy may need a safe and stable place to call home, but her needs often go beyond housing.
She may be continuing her education, beginning a career, learning to care for a new baby, or simply trying to determine what comes next.
Within an Open Loving Arms community, she will have the privacy and dignity of her own home while being surrounded by neighbors who can offer encouragement, friendship, experience, and practical support.
As her life becomes more stable, she too will have opportunities to share her own gifts and contribute to the community around her.
Read more about Mothers and Their Children →What Happens When We Bring Everyone Together?
A senior might help a child with homework.
A senior and a newly arrived parent might spend an afternoon practicing English together.
A mother might check in on an older neighbor.
A newly arrived family might share a favorite meal or family tradition.
And many more meaningful and memorable life experiences.
Children will grow up surrounded by people of different ages, cultures, and life experiences who know them and care about their future.
That is what we hope to create at Open Loving Arms. Not simply a collection of homes, but a place where people know their neighbors, relationships matter, and giving and receiving become a natural part of everyday life.
Everyone has something to give. And everyone has something they need.
At Open Loving Arms, we hope to create a place where those two things can find each other.
Where We Are Today
Turning a vision into a community, one thoughtful step at a time.
Open Loving Arms is in the planning and development stage for our first community in Tampa, Florida. There is much work ahead, but the foundation is taking shape.
Our community model has been developed, the initial Tampa community design is underway, and we have created a financial plan to help guide the project responsibly. We are also beginning conversations with potential partners who can help us with housing, land, construction, funding, education, and other important parts of bringing the community to life.
One of our most important next steps is finding the right property in the Tampa area. At the same time, we are exploring partnerships with modular home manufacturers so that the homes, property, infrastructure, and overall community design can be planned together.
We believe it is important to move forward thoughtfully and responsibly. Before beginning major construction, our goal is to have at least 85% of the funding needed for the community committed. We want the families, mothers, seniors, partners, and donors who place their trust in Open Loving Arms to know that we are building a strong foundation.
Our Path Forward
- 01
Planning & Design
Continue refining the Tampa community design, housing model, resident programs, and financial plan.
- 02
Land & Partnerships
Identify the right property and build relationships with housing, construction, education, community, corporate, and nonprofit partners.
- 03
Funding & Construction
Secure the financial commitments needed to move forward responsibly, complete the necessary site work and approvals, and begin construction.
- 04
Opening Our Doors
Welcome the first residents in early 2028, and begin learning from the Tampa community so that the Open Loving Arms model can continue to grow regionally and improve.
We know building something meaningful takes time, partnership, and the generosity of many people.
We are just getting started, and we would be honored to have others help us build what comes next.
What It Will Take
Building a community like Open Loving Arms will require more than funding. It will require people, partnerships, generosity, and a shared belief in what is possible.
Our first Tampa community is being developed with a careful financial plan that considers the full cost of creating a safe, welcoming, and lasting place to call home.
That includes the land, 10 private homes, site preparation and infrastructure, shared community spaces, furnishings, professional services, and the many other details required to responsibly open the doors to our first residents.
We are also in the process of looking for opportunities to build out OLA differently. Rather than simply purchasing everything needed for the community, we hope to bring together companies, foundations, community organizations, professionals, and individuals who may be able to contribute in meaningful ways.
A housing partner may help us reduce the cost of the homes.
A company may provide furnishings or materials.A professional may donate expertise.
A family, organization, or foundation may choose to help fund a home or another important part of the community.A landowner may even help us find the place where Open Loving Arms can begin.Every contribution can help bring the community one step closer to becoming a reality.
Building Responsibly
We believe the promises we make to future residents and supporters carry a responsibility.
We believe this approach will allow us to move forward with greater confidence and help ensure that the community has the resources necessary to be completed thoughtfully and responsibly.
Starting With Tampa. Building for What Comes Next.
Our first community will also be an opportunity to learn.
We expect our first community in Tampa to teach us valuable lessons about construction, partnerships, resident programs, operations, and the many details involved in bringing people together in a new kind of community setting.
Our goal is to use those lessons to make future Open Loving Arms communities even more efficient and sustainable.
We hope that over time, strong partnerships, donated goods and services, and more efficient construction methods will allow future communities to be created at a lower cost while continuing to provide the same dignity, quality, and sense of belonging.
Tampa is where we begin. What we learn here can help shape everything that follows.
Help us build the first community
Open Loving Arms is looking for housing partners, landowners, companies, foundations, and individuals who can help bring the Tampa community to life.
Hoping to live in an OLA community one day? Register your interest →