Catholic Charities previews Caritas Casitas

Caritas is the Latin term for charity, one of three theological virtues. Combined with casitas, the Spanish word for small house, Catholic Charities fittingly describes its latest effort to provide housing for those who need it most: Caritas Casitas.

“There is no more preventative action for every determinant of health than access to affordable housing. There isn’t enough – at any level – so Catholic Charities is committed to doing what it can to provide more housing,” said Patrick Raglow, executive director of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

Catholic Charities recently previewed its installation of new affordable housing units, Caritas Casitas, situated next to Sanctuary Women’s Development Center in Oklahoma City. Catholic Charities is developing a 12-unit pocket community for rent, with the first six units installed Aug. 13. Each unit comes from BOXABL, a company known for constructing affordable, prefabricated homes.

Each unit of Caritas Casitas will have a 20x20 footprint with 375 square feet of living space. Overall, there will be six total buildings, each constructed of two stacked BOXABL units, amid a common green area and outdoor gathering space. Every Casita includes a full kitchen and bath, washer and dryer, heating and air conditioner and plenty of living space.

“We recognize that rising housing costs are a challenge statewide, especially for those with lower incomes,” said Yolanda Worth, director of housing at Catholic Charities. “With this pilot project we are hoping to improve development times and maintain construction costs relatively low so we can provide affordable alternatives for renters.”