Basic Service Center Will Create:
• The opportunity for every participant to experience a better quality of life in a drug,
alcohol, and violence free community.
• The opportunity for a stable, safe, and sanitary environment where basic needs are met
such as food, shelter, medical care, and a sense of dignity and belonging in place and
community.
• The opportunity for a self-governed, horizontally structured community where people
facing similar issues work together in order to help themselves, and make decisions that
directly shape their living environment.
• The opportunity for a non-discriminatory living environment.
• The opportunity for couples to stay together, and to safely store belongings.
• The opportunity to renew life goals and aspirations, and to engage in entrepreneurial
enterprises that improve living conditions and economic well-being, and assist in
transitioning to a more permanent living situation.
• The opportunity to work toward personal and community sustainability.
• The opportunity to meet needs for privacy and personal space while concurrently
providing common areas for villagers and visitors to enjoy.
• The opportunity to develop mutual aid and peer-based support systems and to
collaborate with social service agencies, non-profit organizations, private businesses and
individuals whenever feasible.
• The opportunity for people from the larger Denton community to engage by providing
help and support.
Core Values of the organization include:
• A village committed to horizontal organization and self-governance
• Resident participation in the assembling of structures to the greatest extent possible
• A built environment that demonstrates safety, affordability, energy-efficiency, and
identity
• An application and intake process based on relationship building
• The adherence of the five basic, non-negotiable rules listed in the Community
Agreement
• Unhoused or previously unhoused representatives on the Board of Directors

Operational Agreements:
To fully realize the vision for effectively transitioning people to a more sustainable living
situation, Denton Services Center will commit to the following for the duration of the pilot
project
Maintain 501(c)3 status and liability insurance.
1. Maintain an active fundraising campaign that includes both grants and donations.
2. Permit only adults (18 years or older) to gain residency in the pilot project
3. Screen all applicants for residency through the use of a background check, medical
questionnaire, skills inventory, an application and intake questionnaire, and have all
accepted residents sign the Community Agreement.
4. The Basic Village Rules will be:
a. No violence to yourselves or others
b. No theft
c. No alcohol, illegal drugs, or drug paraphernalia on property
d. No persistent, disruptive behavior
e. Everyone must contribute to the operation and maintenance of the village
5. Uphold and enforce these basic rules through village management founded on self-
governance and oversight by the non-profit organization.
6. Maintain a single, secure point of ingress and egress with a proactive village security
plan.
7. Limit the village to 35 dwelling units for the duration of the pilot project.
8. Adhere to a Village Building Guide that meets applicable safety and structural standards,
and ensures all aspects of the village meet fire safety and health regulations.
9. Develop positive relations with the surrounding community by establishing a liaison
with the local neighborhood association and entering into “good neighbor agreements”
with surrounding neighbors.
10. Form supportive partnerships with complementary service providers.
11. Record village demographics and statistics to monitor the success of the pilot project.

Village Management:
Application and Intake Process: As a requirement of residency in the village, all applicants must
complete all villages application and intake documents which includes a background check
form, medical questionnaire, application and intake questionnaire, and skills inventory. To
begin the pilot project, the non-profit organization will select a core group of around ten people
through a vetting process based on relationship building. Once the core group is established,
they will then conduct the process for gradually accepting new residents.

Community Agreement: If the applicant is found to be a good fit for the village, they must then
sign a Community Agreement that states expected behaviors and consequences for violations.
An initial agreement will be established by the non-profit organization for the start of the pilot
project, but residents will then have the right to amend the agreement. The Board of
Directors of the non-profit organization will provide oversight and retains the right to override
any amendment to the agreement.

Village Meetings: Based on existing examples in Portland and Seattle, the community will be
self-governed through regular weekly meetings that all residents are expected to attend. At this
time residents will make decisions through majority vote about how the community is
organized within the framework of the aforementioned Basic Village Rules. Specific roles will be
identified and filled in order to maintain a safe and sanitary environment.
Village Council: During the meetings, a small group of residents will be elected to the Village
Council for a set period of time. These individuals will be responsible for monitoring the village
and taking immediate action with regard to any violations of the Community Agreement. If any
resident notices a violation, it is their responsibility to report this issue to a member of the
Village
Council.

Volunteers:
Support and oversight from trained volunteers is an important piece for the initial
stages of the village, and will be utilized as necessary. Over time, the need for volunteer
involvement will likely decrease as the residents themselves will take on more responsibility.

Security Plan:
The village will have a single, secure entrance/exit that will be staffed by
residents or trained volunteers. Every resident will share security duties at the gate. All visitors
will be required to register at the front gate and be escorted by a resident. Security staff will
also patrol the immediate area outside of the gate to maintain a safe surrounding environment.
The front gate will be locked from 12am-6am. Residents returning late will ring a bell to be let
in by security staff. The Denton Police Department (DPD) will be welcome to patrol the village
as they would any other neighborhood in Denton. In a situation in which the Village Council is
unable to gain cooperation of a resident, the police will be called for assistance.

Food:
A covered, barbecue style cooking area will allow residents and volunteers to prepare hot
meals on site. An adjacent pantry will provide food storage for residents and planned group
meals, which will be managed by a designated kitchen manager. The establishment of a “local
foodshed” will also be encouraged in which residents of the village and members of the
surrounding community come together to share locally grown produce.

Storage:
Due to the compact size of the dwelling units, resident will be allowed to bring only a
minimal amount of possessions on site. To maintain a safe and orderly environment, items may
not be stored outside of the footprint of the dwelling. Small, lockable storage units will also be
provided on site for additional personal belongings.

Pets:
A limited number of pets will be allowed in the village. This will be determined on a case-
by-case basis to uphold a safe and sanitary environment.

Skill Building:
The non-profit organization will encourage skill buildings for residents in a variety
of ways. Cooking, gardening, and construction will be practical skills emphasized in the village
model. In addition, the village will host a variety of classes and workshops for residents held by
interested organizations and individuals in the larger community.

Financial Costs:
Denton Basic Services Center will lease land from the City for a nominal fee.
The non-profit will also maintain a fundraising campaign that actively seeks grants and
donations to cover capital and operating costs. Residents may contribute to the operating costs
either from their own income or through micro-business opportunities that will be developed in
which residents provide goods or services in order to raise money for the village. The capital
budget will be kept small by the ecological philosophy of the village with a long-term goal of
self-sufficiency.

Evaluation:
Records will be kept to determine where residents are coming from, where they go
when they leave, whether new sources of income or employment have been generated, as well
as general population demographics.

Community Agreement:
• I understand that in order to maintain a secure environment there will be a single point
of entrance and exit that will that will be staffed 24/7, and that security shifts will be
shared equally among Village residents.

• I know that it can take a lot of work to keep the Village a safe, clean and pleasant place
to live. I agree to work at least 10 hours a week on the operation and maintenance of
the Village. This includes serving on security teams, helping with kitchen duties,
construction projects, maintenance and clean-up crews, helping plan activities and
other jobs that need to be shared by community members.

• I also know that there are financial costs to keep the Village running. I will support the
goal of self-sufficiency by contributing each month either financially or through sweat
equity by participating in micro-business opportunities or fundraising events.

• I will attend the weekly Village meetings, unless I have an acceptable reason for
absence, in which case I will find out what went on by reading the meeting notes. I
understand that decisions will be made through a majority vote, and that the Board of
Directors of the nonprofit reserves the right to override decisions made. I agree to abide
by all decisions made.

• I affirm that I have completed the Background Check Form honestly along with all other
application documents. I understand that if the background check reveals otherwise, I
could be asked to leave immediately.

• I promise to keep all of these agreements, as well as others that are approved at Village
meetings.

• If I violate any agreements, the members of the Village Council are authorized to ask me
to leave temporarily, or, in serious or repeat cases, to leave permanently. I will do so
peacefully and not return unless I am authorized to do so.

• I know that this village is a place where people value community and support each
other. I will try to think of ways to make our community a better place to be. When I am
concerned or upset with situations in the Village, I will bring these problems to the
attention of the appropriate people so that we can work together to figure things out. I
willingly sign these agreements that are a contract between Denton Basic Services
Center and me.