Community Action is backing down from plans to build three small transitional houses on a portion of a Janesville park.

Recently promoted executive director Marc Perry said the non-profit is reassessing the situation and looking at other potential home ownership projects that could better serve the community.

The proposal would have transferred ownership of roughly one-third of River Valley Park on Janesville’s south side to Community Action, which used to occupy an office building on the same site.

The non-profit was planning to use Community Development Block Grant and Housing and Urban Development funds to build three, 600-square-foot homes to use as transitional housing for homeless families.

Neighbors near the park raised concerns to the city and its parks and recreation advisory committee, which ultimately voted in favor of a positive recommendation to the city council.

The project never made it onto a city council agenda, so ownership of the land was never transferred and the project never received full formal approval.

Perry said it’s possible they could pursue the small homes project again sometime in the future, but the COVID-19 pandemic and Community Action’s leadership change prompted them to take a step back and review their options.