It’s no secret that after putting their lives on the line, veterans sometimes return home and experience extreme difficulty. From mental health issues, to issues accessing health care and job opportunities, to finding and securing homes, veterans face these difficulties without much help. But a nonprofit in Kansas City, Missouri, decided to do something about that.
They built a small city within the city.
Comprised of 49 tiny homes in an area that covers just a few blocks of Kansas City, these houses create free living for any veterans who need a place to stay. Each house is between 240 to 320 square feet, so they are truly small, but the houses all meet local zoning laws and have full utilities.
These homes enable former soldiers to transition out of a life of houselessness and back into having some basic human necessities met.
Each veteran gets to live in their own home, but they are connected to the whole community.
These houses come with the essentials. Each veteran is able to have a bed to sleep in, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a small living space. It’s just enough to make a person feel at home. The best part is that when the veteran is ready to move out, they get to take all the appliances they want with them. Each house is refurnished with new appliances every time a new veteran moves in.
To make the community seem even more fun and welcoming, the veterans are allowed to bring their dogs to live with them. A lot of the veterans have dogs, and as a result, there’s a lot of puppies to pet. The founders of Veterans Community Project credit the dogs with helping to create an even greater sense of warmth and community there.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of volunteers and a community that cares about improving everyone’s quality of life.
This small city was built with the help of many volunteers. In fact, the Veterans Community Project estimates that 70% of the city was built by volunteers.
Additionally, the nonprofit that organized the city also trains case managers to help these veterans achieve success in various aspects of life. The case managers work with veterans on issues such as financial literacy, health and wellbeing, developing a personal support network, and finding employment. Many soldiers return from their tours with minimal to no support system, so this truly changes things for people.
Veterans Community Project is the nonprofit behind all this.
Veterans Community Project is a nonprofit that was formed by former combat veterans who know firsthand the challenges of reintegrating to civilian life. They are focused on improving the conditions of veterans around the Missouri area.
In Kansas City alone, they have both the VCP Village, and The Veteran Outreach Center, a walk-in building where veterans can receive free assistance with navigating aspects of veteran life. At the Outreach Center, veterans can seek help with accessing their VA benefits, get referrals for mental and physical health services, and access a food pantry, among many other supports.
The veterans who have lived in this small city say that it changed their lives.
For some of them, the material assistance has been wonderful, but more importantly, the emotional support and kindness they receive through this program has impacted them too. On Facebook, Veterans Community Project quotes of the veteran’s living in their community who says:
“I’ve never had anyone do anything for me. I’ve always been the one to do for my family and my friends – but this is incredible…Now how blessed can you be in this life?”
It’s incredible to see a nonprofit having so much direct help in improving people’s lives.
The differences that this tiny city makes in people’s lives are tangible. This is one good idea that I certainly wish was replicated across the country. Helping veterans get back on their feet and securing a better life for themselves is a worthy cause, and this small city of tiny homes has certainly proved to work.
Watch the video below to hear more about this incredible project!
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