Milwaukee will soon create a village of tiny homes for veterans
A 7-acre plot in Milwaukee will soon be turned into a village of tiny homes for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Mayor Tom Bartett signed off on a zoning authorization on Monday, in honor of Veterans Day, for the community.
Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin led the project, calling themselves a "homeless recovery program" and described the initiative as an effort to help struggling veterans get back on their feet.
There will be 42 homes, each about 240 square feet, at the land on 6767 N 60th St, according to the group. There will also be a 10,000-square-foot community center, filled with restrooms, a kitchen, pool tables and a washer and dryer, where veterans can socialize.
"We wanted to really provide them with a key to their own home. However, the real recovery doesn't begin without human connection," Fiona Murphy, director of development at Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, told ABC News on Tuesday.
The community center gives veterans the opportunity to "leave their home on their time and seek out a group setting and then return to privacy and independence when they want," Murphy said.
The nonprofit, which is funded through community groups, has already constructed another village of tiny homes in Wisconsin, in the city of Racine.
There are 15 tiny homes in Racine, which are each 120 square feet. So far, the group has successfully graduated nine veterans since the homes were opened in November 2017, according to Murphy.
Successful graduates are determined by a range of factors, including a healthy bank account, repaired credit scores, wellness habits, and jobs, Murphy said.
"It's not enough with just the little house. It's everything that happens around and after that is the true recovery," she said.
The tiny homes in Milwaukee are set to open in July 2020.
