This amazing project provides temporary homes to veterans who need help getting back on their feet. Sometimes, a little time is all it takes for people to recover, and this project aims to offer that.
The tiny homes are designed specifically for veterans. The Tiny Home Tours team was thrilled to support this cause.
Hi, I’m Josh from the Veterans Community Project. We’re excited to show you one of our tiny houses here in Kansas City. We specialize in housing homeless veterans using the tiny house model. Right here at 89th and Troost, we have 49 houses ready for 49 veterans to move in.
The Veterans Community Project was started by combat veterans. They were upset with a system that they felt was failing their fellow veterans. From the beginning, we aimed to end veteran homelessness creatively and wanted to keep improving our approach.
This amazing movement started on Christmas Eve 2017 with the goal to build 20 houses. Veterans began moving in on January 29, 2018. We had a big job ahead of us—we built 13 houses in just three and a half weeks.
It took our entire staff working almost 23 hours a day, but we were committed to getting it done. These houses are not just homes; they help veterans gain independence and start healing.
We started with just a trailer on the land to show we could do it. Since then, we’ve changed the design completely. When people saw what we were trying to do, they started to support us.
We love that these homes are gentle on the environment and very efficient. They are all built from scratch on concrete slabs, and it’s been an incredible process.
When we first bought the land, it was a big 4.9-acre piece with no plumbing, electricity, or any infrastructure. But now, these homes have everything a typical house would have.
The veterans we help often suffer from post-traumatic stress, from their service or life on the streets. Moving them into a safe place, with good security and only one way in and out, really helps them move out of survival mode. It’s a big deal.
Karen Carter, a veteran, had to start over when she lost her home after a divorce. Now, she lives in a village of tiny homes for veterans in Kansas City, Missouri.
“We’re all trying to restart our lives. We have fallen down, and we’re learning how to get up again,” she says. This village is a friendly place where neighbors help each other.
Mark Solomon, a real estate professional and a veteran, helped start the Veterans Community Project. He used his skills to create this community where veterans can find transitional housing and a fresh start.
