A group including Mayor Matthew Porter and Janet Collinsworth formally shovels dirt into a bucket, marking a significant milestone for the city and Jericho Village. Courtesy Craig Kelly/City of Wylie

Community, political and nonprofit leaders gathered Thursday, Nov. 7, to celebrate the groundbreaking of Jericho Village, an income-based urban village in Wylie that has been years in the making. The project, located at 511 Brown Street, is expected to be completed within a year.

The Cross Church hosted the event, which was emceed by Jon Bailey, executive director of Hope for the Cities. Bailey recalled his first encounter with Janet Collinsworth, founder and executive director of Agape Resource and Assistance Center, in 2020 to members of the Greater Wylie Resources group via Zoom. 

At the time, Collinsworth spoke about the mission of her Plano-based nonprofit, which has provided transitional housing and support for hundreds of Collin County women and children who survived family violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking. She also shared her vision for Jericho Village which Bailey said, “excited me and so many others in the group, because as a group, we had been talking and praying about what can we do about housing solutions within the city of Wylie.  

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