The Veterans Village gives me hope that as a society we’ll serve veterans whose service to society too often is dismissed when they return home. Two veterans in the Kansas City area, Kevin Jamison and Chris Stout took action on their concern about homeless veterans. They formed the Veterans Community Project and organized volunteers and companies like Mitsubishi HVAC to participate. Together they are building and furnishing 50 tiny homes in a veterans’ village they created near Kansas City. The cost is $10,000 for each tiny home where veterans live free.

A key advantage is the village concept. Veterans live near others while each has their own personal space that includes a kitchen, living and sleeping areas and a bathroom. A nearby outreach center provides medical services and plans are underway to build a community center.

Read Penn Collins’ article about the project on Good.is here.

In your community, you could begin by finding out how many homeless veterans are in your area. Then ask the local Veterans Administration about affordable housing programs and services. Contact local veterans groups to ask how you can support their advocacy and to find out if they think the Veterans Community Project is a good idea. Explore what can emerge as you engage in these action steps.

Learn more about the Veterans Community Project and how you can help to support its work at veteranscommunityproject.org