SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson is in Sioux Falls and spent part of his day touring the local Veterans Community Project of Sioux Falls village.
These tiny homes designed for veterans looking to get back on their feet are still fairly new to the community, but have already made an impact.
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“We have six residents right now. We have three more in the queue that we’re about to house, and then we’ve got five more that should be done in the next few months that we can house five more veterans,” Veterans Community Project of Sioux Falls executive director, John Holter said.
On Friday Johnson went to see what resources veterans in the program are given upon arrival.
“I’m just blown away. I mean, this is a place where these veterans are going to be able to heal. They’re going to be able to stabilize, and they’re going to be able to get a plan for how to move toward permanent housing,” Johnson said.
During his visit they discussed how important community support is, in addition to the physical supplies like food and a kitchen.
“When you’ve got somebody who has served their country, it’s sometimes traumatized because of their service to our country, helping them get back to where they need to be. That’s not easy. That’s a journey,” Johnson said. “And it’s going to require the VA. It is going to require, community resources. It’s going to require incredibly generous donors and volunteers that have made something like this happen. That’s how we’re going to do right by these folks.”
Holter says the organization does not receive streamline government funds.Making donations and volunteer work the main force behind continuing its mission.
“Almost all the work here gets done by volunteers, and we line up several volunteer days a week. And if you contact us, you can do everything from frame a house, to write ‘thank you’ notes to almost anything in between,” Holter said.
The organization looks to have at least five more tiny homes built and ready to go by this time next year.
