A few homeless people can now have a small, but cozy home in Kansas City where veterans who lost their homes have moved into tiny houses.
Recent research conducted by the Department of Housing and Human Development has brought a grim reality to the attention of Americans, namely that more than 37,000 veterans are homeless in the US. From these, around 22,000 are living in shelters that do not represent a forever home for them.
When trying to come up with a solution to this pressing problem, a nonprofit group called The Veterans Community Project (VCP) in Kansas City, decided to provide as many tiny homes to veterans as they can. The nonprofit was founded by Bryan Meyers a former US Marine corporal, who knows a lot about the problems veterans are facing once they return to their home country. After consulting with the homeless veterans from the streets of Kansas City, the VCP decided that it was time to take action and started building a village on tiny houses.
Marine veteran Bryan Meyer is the CEO and co-founder of Veterans Community Project. (VCP)
The project consists of 49 houses and was completed in 2019 and the village is also home to a community center where veterans can receive counseling and mentoring. There is an increasing need for more projects like this to solve the problem of homelessness for each social category, as numbers are still increasing as we speak.
“We just took the mentality, and it’s a very kind of military mentality, that we are going to figure this out. Then we just started putting one foot in front of the other.”
“There’s this huge sense of belonging because you have a population of people that all have a shared experience in terms of military service, and it gives them this instantaneous bond,” he said. “You see them really develop and make friendships and hang out with each other.”
VCP is 100 percent funded by donations and relies heavily on local community partnerships and volunteers.
Sir or Ma’am:
How can I get a Veteran Community set up? I live in Louisiana and would like to see a project such as yours for us here.
Please tell me how you started, who did you need to get it going, and how to see it through? (Any helpful hints and tricks too please).
Sincerely yours,
Michael Lynch
Ret. E-8 US Army
I agree! This would go a long way to help our vets get back on their feet, get the treatment that they need and help them become productive members of society!
But first we need to get city to allow this to happen. Most take the attitude of NIMBY.
I want to see more projects like this across the US!
You guys are amazing. I wish every city did this.
Please can do this in Phoenix or the surrounding communities like Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert or Queen Creek?
Adapting a 41 unit hotel for homeless in Lincoln City oregon. Would love to do more for veterans since many homeless often have combined challenges involving mental health, military service and poverty. Can I learn more about your program?
me too
This is wonderful! Let’s share & hope it spreads nationwide!
My god bless everyone who took place in this wonderful blessing. God sees you an he will also bless your lives. Thank you for the kindness you have covered these people souls an lives. My god forever send blessing to your life’s ❤️🤍💙
Bryan, you continue to give back to your country and the people who serve it. Thank you, and God Bless You. We need more communities like this across the country. I design homes from shipping containers which also make affordable community living a reality. Keep up the great work your doing!
John
I am a new realtor and am interested in buying a property and doing something like this for the veterans in Oregon. Please tell me how you got started and what you went through to get to this point.
This is so great idea what should be sponsored by every big city… Here in Colorado near Denver I see so many homeless veterans, breaks my heart to see it that they fought for their country and now country left them on the streets 🙁 I work for Starbucks and I know Starbucks does a lot of projects to help community, maybe contact them and I know a lot of our partners would volunteer to build these houses too if we can find the land to build.
I can see something like this in a rural setting also for those Veterans that do not prefer city life and might like a small garden or shop to go with their tiny house. Perhaps 2 tiny houses on an acre lot and a community center somewhere in the center of all of them with pathways to the center. While I did not serve in the military and Hubby was not allowed to (he is the son a a WWI Vet), my Dad was a Korean Veteran with the USMC and my Hubby’s Dad was a WWI Veteran with the Navy (Hubby was a surprise baby – F.I.L. was 55). Would the rural setting be a viable option for this?
Thank you all for undergoing this project and making a community for Americans needing help, especially those that helped us with their service!!! God bless you and every person there! I hope you can partner with others who can help support and grow this effort to other locations!!!
How many females are you housing at this point?
I am a 64 year old Mom of a retired Marine Corp Vet.
I have home remodeling experience and very much would like to volunteer. Could you help me get involved here in KC. Thank you!