Milwaukee Considering Tiny Home Project To Help Homeless Veterans

A village of tiny homes is being planned at a city of Milwaukee-owned site for homeless veterans. The effort is being led by Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin and modeled after a successful project in Racine.

The tiny home project will be located at 60th Street and Green Tree Road on the city’s northwest side and combine housing with supportive services.

“These tiny homes will allow veterans the dignity to be in their own dwelling but allow them to be successful to make transition into their own community,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Each of the tiny homes will be approximately 240 square feet, and up to 48 could be built.

The first step in moving the project forward will be for the city’s Redevelopment Authority to sell seven acres of vacant land to the nonprofit Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin for $35,000.

The Milwaukee Common Council will have to approve the sale and the project.

Alderwoman Chantia Lewis represents the area where the tiny homes could be built. She is also a veteran.

“I understand what it’s like to be done with my term and then told, ‘bye-bye,’” Lewis said. “People do not realize a veteran is one step away from being homeless when we are discharged.”

There are about 111 homeless veterans in Milwaukee, said Tim Lawrence, chairman of Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin.

The village will be a 100 percent dry village with 24/7 security. All resident applicants will receive criminal background checks.

The veterans who live in the tiny homes can stay up to two years before transitioning into permanent housing.

Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin would bring to Milwaukee the same housing and support model it opened in Racine in November 2017. The Racine project has 15 tiny homes and a community center.

So far, eight of the veterans living at the tiny homes in Racine have moved out with jobs, homes and one has even purchased a car, Lawrence said.

“Some of them just need that push in the right direction, get a little money in the bank, some of them don’t even know they have benefits coming to them — gotta have an address to get a benefit, right?” Lawrence said. “We’re trying to get this as a program, not just a place to get a veteran off the streets.”