LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Veteran homelessness is a problem in communities in Kentucky and across the country.
A Louisville group is trying to create a tiny home village to get homeless veterans off the streets and back on their feet.
Jeremy Harrell, the founder, and president of the Veteran’s Club said that’s what Camp Restoration is all about.
“They can overcome whatever it is that has got them in that situation,” said Harrell. “More often than not, veteran homelessness is because of mental illness that hasn’t been treated.”
The Veteran’s Club was able to secure some donated land near Fury Way in Louisville’s South End. Harrell’s goal is to have 30 tiny homes and a community center to help the participants’ transition to fend for themselves.
Camp Restoration will be a 12-month long program. The folks who stay there will take physical and mental health assessments along with classes in financial literacy and VA home loan information.
“It’s about coming alongside as a brother and really loving on them,” he said. “You have to meet them where they are and understand where they are. You have to let them heal at their own pace.”
The Veteran’s Club is in the process of meeting with local utilities and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to work on logistics. Before they can break any sort of ground, Camp Restoration has to go through the planning and zoning stages.
“I have a goal for the whole project to be done in a year,” Harrell said. “We want to have veterans living here and going through the programs and processes.”
The Veteran’s Club is still weighing which route to go for the tiny homes themselves. Container homes and more traditional tiny homes both have their pros and cons. Harrell said they will figure out the best option with the team the group is consulting with.
“We’re still working with engineers and some folks who build those homes to get a good idea,” he said.