Developers building large artificial intelligence data centers in the United States are increasingly relying on temporary housing complexes known as “man camps” to accommodate the workforce required for construction, according to a report from Bloomberg. One company expanding its role in this segment is Target Hospitality, which has secured contracts totaling $132 million to build and operate a worker camp in Dickens County, Texas.
Target Hospitality has signed multiple contracts worth $132 million to construct and operate a temporary housing facility in Dickens County that could eventually house more than 1,000 workers.
The temporary housing model is being deployed to support the large number of workers needed to build advanced data infrastructure associated with artificial intelligence computing. These worker villages are typically composed of modular housing units and shared amenities designed to support short-term labor forces in remote or rural locations.
In Dickens County, Texas, a former Bitcoin mining facility is being converted into a 1.6 gigawatt data center. Bloomberg reported that construction workers assigned to the project are living in rows of gray housing units as part of the temporary camp built to support the development effort.
The housing complex includes several communal facilities intended to serve the temporary workforce. Amenities described in the report include a gym, a laundromat, game rooms, and a cafeteria that grills steaks on demand.
These housing arrangements resemble camps originally used for workers in remote oil and gas fields. The “man camp” model became widely associated with large-scale energy projects in isolated regions where traditional housing infrastructure was limited or unavailable.
The Dickens County project reflects the scale of computing infrastructure currently being developed to support artificial intelligence workloads. Data centers designed for AI training and processing require large power supplies and extensive construction activity, often in locations with available land and energy capacity.
The facility in Dickens County is planned as a 1.6 gigawatt data center. Such power capacity places it among the larger planned data infrastructure projects in the United States.
The worker camp supporting the construction project is being developed and operated by Target Hospitality, a company that provides temporary workforce housing services. The firm has historically specialized in accommodations for energy, infrastructure, and industrial projects.
According to Bloomberg, Target Hospitality sees the construction boom associated with artificial intelligence data centers as a major business opportunity. The company’s chief commercial officer, Troy Schrenk, described the sector as “the largest, most actionable pipeline I’ve ever seen.”
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence computing has created demand for new data center facilities capable of supporting large-scale machine learning workloads. These facilities typically require extensive infrastructure including power distribution, cooling systems, networking hardware, and large physical server installations.
As a result, construction phases can involve hundreds or even thousands of workers operating simultaneously over extended periods. Temporary housing camps are often used when nearby communities do not have enough residential capacity to accommodate such a workforce.
Worker Housing and Infrastructure Development
The concept of temporary worker villages has long been used in industries where projects occur in remote environments. Oil and gas exploration projects frequently relied on modular housing facilities to house drilling crews and support personnel.
These facilities typically include dormitory-style housing units along with centralized dining, recreation, and laundry services. The goal is to provide a self-contained living environment for workers located near construction or extraction sites.
In the Dickens County development, workers supporting the conversion of the former Bitcoin mining site are staying within the camp while the large-scale data infrastructure is built. The project demonstrates how housing logistics have become a component of large technology infrastructure construction.
The growth of AI computing capacity has led developers to seek locations where energy availability, land access, and construction logistics align with data center requirements. Rural areas can provide the space and electrical infrastructure necessary for large-scale facilities.
The Dickens County project involves converting a cryptocurrency mining facility into a data center designed to support artificial intelligence workloads. Cryptocurrency mining operations previously used similar infrastructure such as high electrical capacity and large server installations.
Facilities designed for data center operations can consume significant electrical power depending on the scale of computing resources deployed. AI training clusters often require large arrays of specialized processors and cooling equipment.
Construction projects of this scale often extend over multiple years, requiring sustained workforce presence. Temporary housing is therefore used to maintain worker access to the construction site during development phases.
Corporate Background and Previous Operations
Target Hospitality is also known for operating facilities used for government contracts. Among them is the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas.
The Dilley facility houses families detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center has been the subject of court filings regarding conditions within the facility.
According to the filings, allegations have included reports that food served at the center contained worms and mold. The documents also claimed that children detained there suffered without accommodation for allergies and special dietary needs.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement oversees detention operations used to hold individuals undergoing immigration processing within the United States. Facilities such as the Dilley center are operated by contractors under federal agreements.
Target Hospitality’s current contracts for the Dickens County worker camp represent a separate area of business focused on workforce housing for industrial projects. The company provides modular accommodation units, catering, maintenance services, and operational management for such facilities.
The expansion into AI infrastructure construction housing reflects broader changes in the technology sector’s physical footprint. Artificial intelligence computing demands have accelerated the development of new data centers capable of supporting large-scale processing workloads.
The Dickens County worker camp illustrates how infrastructure associated with AI development extends beyond computing equipment and electricity supply. Worker housing, logistics planning, and temporary living facilities are becoming part of the ecosystem supporting the construction of large technology facilities.
Additional information about the Dickens County region and its development context can be found on the Dickens County official website, which provides public information about the county and its infrastructure projects.
