Hero's Hill Tiny Home Community Opens for Veterans

The 20-home Knoxville community in the Marble City neighborhood provides affordable housing and support services for veterans.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Military Jobs

Small pale-gray tiny homes with dark metal roofs line a grassy hillside under a clear sky, with blue mountain ridges in the distance. — Hero's Hill, a 20-home tiny house community for veterans, opened Aug. 27 in Knoxville's Marble City neighborhood, with 13 veterans living there by Veterans Day. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Hero's Hill, a collection of 20 tiny homes designed for veterans, opened in Knoxville's Marble City neighborhood on Aug. 27. Thirteen veterans were members of the community as of Veteran's Day.

Why it matters

The project addresses veterans who served the country and have fallen on hard times, offering permanent, affordable housing paired with support services. It also offers a potential model for housing veterans elsewhere in the region.

Donors raised over $1.3 million against a $1.2 million goal for supplies and furniture, alongside a $2 million federal appropriation from U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett. The VA is working with six more applicants, and the source does not state when those placements will be finalized.

The players

Glenn Jacobs

Glenn Jacobs is the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, and a former professional wrestler known as Kane, who gave interviews to Knox News about the project in 2025.

Tim Burchett

Tim Burchett is a Republican U.S. Representative from Tennessee who secured a $2 million federal appropriation for the Hero's Hill project.

Ben Bentley

Ben Bentley is a Knox County official who is involved in the Hero's Hill project and was named in the community's coverage.

The details

The Knoxville Community Development Corporation manages the community, which was built through donated supplies and a federal appropriation. Residents pay a percentage of their adjusted income under federal housing vouchers, and on-site services include a computer lab, laundry facilities and case managers who help veterans develop treatment plans.

Aug. 27, 2026: Community leaders celebrated the Hero's Hill opening in the Marble City neighborhood.
Nov. 11, 2026: Thirteen veterans were members of the community on Veteran's Day.

Housing Policy Context

Hero's Hill applies the federal Housing Choice Voucher program to a purpose-built tiny home community reserved for veterans, extending a model typically used in conventional rental housing. Its approach of pairing vouchers with on-site case management places it within a growing set of supportive housing efforts for veterans.

Veterans in need of affordable housing can seek placement through the federal voucher process, with residents paying a percentage of adjusted income. Donors and volunteers can contribute through the Operation Hero's Hill donation page.

The takeaway

Hero's Hill shows how donated resources, federal vouchers and on-site support can be combined to house veterans in a permanent, affordable setting. Readers interested in similar models can watch how the six pending applicants are placed.