Interview with Jackson Drumgoole, Executive Director of Bridge Builder Communities

There’s a new tiny home community coming to Augusta, Georgia. Bridge Builder Communities is breaking ground on 25 site-built tiny homes for young adults aging out of foster care. We spoke with Dr. Jackson Drumgoole, Executive Director, to learn about the vision for his project.

First, some statistics Dr. Drumgoole shared that highlight the necessity for improving our current foster care system:

• 80% of children in foster care develop some form of mental illness due to adverse childhood experiences.
• 71% of young women who age out of foster care become pregnant by the time they’re 21.
• 75% of child trafficking victims come out of the foster care system.
• 46-55% of young adults aging out of foster care become homeless almost instantly.

For Dr. Drumgoole, these statistics resonate on a personal level, as he watched several family members suffer in the foster care system growing up. He hasn’t forgotten, and now he has the means to make a difference.

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Augusta, Georgia, passed ordinance 7840 in August of 2022, which opened the door for developments of site-built tiny home villages. Dr. Drumgoole’s will be the first to come to fruition. We asked him to describe the approval process. Aside from the rigid process of rezoning property and gaining approval from the planning and zoning committee, Dr. Drumgoole holds fast that the most important part is developing relationships and fostering a holistic approach to non-profit development. “I’m not an internet guy. I’m a sneaker-net guy. I put my sneakers on and go talk to people. Politics and people run everything,” he says. To pull off Bridge Builder Communities, he’s partnered with hospitals, churches, social service agencies, government officials, and many more.

This entire development is being accomplished without a dime from government subsidy. Dr. Drumgoole says that he spoke about the project at every chance possible and found that people were eager to come forward, saying, “I can do that part.” Virgo Gambill and McMillian Pazdan Smith have been staunch supporters from the beginning by providing in-kind-architectural work throughout the project. The City of Augusta donated the land, a $360,000 park that was decommissioned and needing to be repurposed, and Dr. Drumgoole is working closely with community home builders for the best rates for the tiny homes.

The tiny homes, each about 320 square feet, will be arranged in clusters of five that point toward a common greenspace to encourage a sense of community and support for dwellers. Dr. Drumgoole says that the residents’ biggest fear is isolation and abandonment, so being able to look out the window and see the other homes helps residents feel connected and stable. Other thoughtful and even trauma-informed design features include intentional placement of windows, breakaway fixtures, and peaceful color palettes. The 3-acre development will also include a gated entrance, community center, and vegetable garden. The community center is an integral part of the overall success of the mission. He’s partnered with several institutions that will teach various classes there, including Serenity Behavioral Health, Medical Associates Plus, Augusta Locally Grown, and Augusta Tech. Outside residents can also access certain classes, like financial planning, cooking, gardening, and landscaping. Community members and neighbors can propose their own classes — and get a stipend for teaching them. "This project is a proof or principle to show how a holistically intentional community can take care of all residents," Drumgoole states.

Why tiny homes? (Of course we had to ask!) Dr. Drumgoole says that he and his partners looked at every option from container homes to apartments to remodeling abandoned buildings, but ultimately none of those created a sense of community quite like tiny homes.

They had some guidance from their strategic partner, Pivot, in Oklahoma. Dr. Drumgoole recalls how the Augusta mayor called him one night to have him turn on the news to watch a feature about Pivot. Soon after, Dr. Drumgoole and his partner and chief architect Joe Gambill (now board chair at Bridge Builder) flew out to visit with the Pivot team for several days to soak up all the knowledge and advice they could. We asked if Dr. Drumgoole was interested in replicating the concept in other communities. “Absolutely,” he says, mentioning populations like the elderly and the unhoused, “But it needs to be holistic and focused on relationship building. Everyone that already lives in that community has to be involved and engaged to make projects like this a success.”

Bridge Builder Communities is a brilliant case study of what mission-driven real estate development can sometimes require. It’s also a beautiful reminder of our human desire to connect and embrace community in meaningful and uplifting ways. The community support that came out of the woodwork shows how we as a society can thrive when given the opportunity to back causes that are in line with our greater values. Addressing and solving complicated societal issues takes a village.

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