The Sconi

A program that has been helping homeless veterans in Racine get into tiny homes is now hoping to bring its successful formula to Milwaukee to help its population of homeless vets. 

The project is held by Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin, according to tmj4.com, which also noted the need in the region is real. The report noted that Racine had 12,000 veterans without homes, while Milwaukee now has more than three times as many homeless veterans – 39,000. 

Just finding a place to live can prove to be a challenge for many veterans. The organization’s website noted that one veteran to land a home through the program was Glen Miller, 58, who served in the Navy for eight years after graduating high school. Since then, life has been a rollercoaster. 

“It was a big struggle, in and out of jobs because of drinking and drugs and losing friends,” Miller told the website as he moved into his new home.

According to the Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin website, plans call for 42 tiny homes, a food market and recreation facility for veterans at North 60th and Green Tree Road in Milwaukee by the end of the year.  

The organization originated from little more than an idea. According to its website, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin started in Racine as a grassroots group of volunteers in 2013, and blossomed quickly into an organization with a goal of making a difference in the lives of at-risk veterans in the region. By 2017, it had grown to a village of 15 tiny homes, a market and program essential to veterans. 

After the veterans are placed in their home, the website noted that the program also tends to other issues, offering financial literacy services, support groups, wellness activities and career services, the website noted.