Group to build tiny homes for homeless veterans
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HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (WPMT) — “This view and this river here–I’m a little overwhelmed. I can just see myself coming out here and sitting on a bench–and watching the river flow by,” said Thomas Zimmerman from the Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania.
A five-acre plot of land along the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg will soon become a community for the homeless veteran population in Dauphin county.
It’s an initiative started by the veterans outreach of Pennsylvania and other local organizations to help veterans they say have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
“This land will fit 15 tiny homes–and within the 15 tiny homes there will be a bed in each home, there will be a small microwave, there will be a desk…and it will be their home,” said Zimmerman.
There will also be a six thousand square foot community center.
“That community center will be where they eat, where we have meetings, where we’ll be able to get them back–we’ll have case managers, executive directors and working with each individual veteran to meet their needs to get them back into society,” said Zimmerman.
In order to qualify–you not only need to be a homeless veteran– it needs to be the right fit for you.
“This is a very specialized form of transitional housing that’s really designed to those who need that ability to be separate and connected at the same time,” said William Reed from the YWCA.
For the organizations–this is going to be vital in moving towards achieving their goal.
“My goal is to end veteran homelessness–and that part of the world that i can contribute to and having this is really going to help us move and fill in one more piece in that puzzle we need to feel in–so we can actually reach our goal,” said Reed.
The organization is hoping to raise about 3.5 million dollars for the project and hope to start building this year.
Although the location is in the Susquehanna River, it is in the 500 year flood zone.
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