‘Tiny homes’ for veterans project gets early approval in Milwaukee

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Milwaukee officials on Monday endorsed a 40-unit “tiny homes” for veterans‘ housing on the northern edge of the city. A similar project was proposed in 2019, but those plans didn’t move forward.

The City of Milwaukee Plan Commission voted in favor of a development plan for Veterans Community Project (VCP), a nonprofit based in Kansas. The nonprofit wants to build 40 individual homes ranging from 240 to 340 square feet and a wrap-around support services center at 6767 N. 60th St.

The development is broken down into 32 single family homes and eight family houses across a 7-acre lot, according to development plans. The single-story Village Center on the southeastern edge will host a management office, counseling rooms and community meeting spaces.

VCP aims to help veterans and their families find stable housing and jobs through its residential and outreach services programs, plans showed. The nonprofit connects with at-risk veterans who are experiencing homelessness or are in danger of becoming homeless.

“Housing with dignity is very important to us,” said Ben Hendershot, the vice president of national expansion for VCP. “Most importantly, we have wraparound services internally … not just to help with the housing crises (veterans) face but also with the underlying issues that got them there in the first place,” he added.

The houses will be designed to meet veterans’ unique needs, including those suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder, plans showed. Features such as windows and doors will be strategically placed to help those with PTSD.

Amenities include a community patio, walking paths, a dog park and a labyrinth. The developer will add elements based on residents’ needs and interests, according to plans.

In 2019, the site was rezoned from light industrial to a detailed plan development for Racine-based Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, which proposed phased development of tiny homes and a community building. Those plans didn’t come to fruition.

Ald. Laresa Taylor, who represents the ninth district, testified in favor of the project. A veteran herself, she said the project would improve the value of nearby homes and provide services to local veterans.

Kansas-based Finkle + Williams Architecture provided project designs.