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Project in Milwaukee expands small house model for veterans and combines temporary housing, individualized care, and local support in an initiative funded by public and private resources.
The nonprofit organization Veterans Community Project (VCP) has begun construction in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, of a village with 40 small houses aimed at veterans.
The project provides free temporary housing, individualized care, and on-site support to assist residents in transitioning to permanent housing, according to the organization.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 13, 2025, on a seven-acre site in northwest Milwaukee.
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At the time, VCP stated that the development would be its sixth such village in the United States, joining communities already connected to the organization in Kansas City, Longmont, Sioux Falls, St. Louis, and Glendale.
The Milwaukee units will range from 240 to 320 square feet, approximately 22 to 30 square meters, and will be delivered furnished.
According to VCP, the houses will be built on permanent foundations, connected to urban infrastructure, and equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and living area.
Temporary housing for veterans in Milwaukee
The project plans for 30 individual units and 10 family units.
According to Wisconsin Public Radio, two houses will comply with the accessibility rules of the Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. legislation aimed at people with disabilities.
Each property is expected to include a bed, table, chairs, armchair, refrigerator, kitchen utensils, TV, and other basic items.
VCP’s proposal is to offer rent-free housing while residents receive support from case managers.
Bryan Meyer, co-founder and CEO of the organization, told Wisconsin Public Radio that participants will be able to live on-site for free and work with the team to achieve permanent housing.
The support includes guidance on documentation, benefits, employment, income, health, education, support network, and housing barriers.
VCP calls this methodology the H.O.M.E.S. index, a structure used by case managers to track individual goals of the residents.
In the center of the village, the project includes the construction of a Village Center, a space that should bring together service offices, classrooms, and a social area.
According to VCP itself, the building will serve as a support point for services provided to residents throughout the period they remain in the community.
The organization reports that the houses follow design principles aimed at people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
VCP states that the units use a 240-square-foot layout designed to promote recovery and that part of the layout seeks to resemble references familiar to veterans.
Funding of US$ 11.7 million
The Milwaukee project aims to raise US$ 11.7 million.
Of this total, US$ 2.5 million were included in Wisconsin’s biennial budget for 2025-2027, according to Wisconsin Public Radio and the Veterans Community Project.
The initiative also received support from private and community partners.
The Brewers Community Foundation, linked to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team, announced a contribution of US$ 250,000 to the project, according to VCP.
During the launch event, Bryan Meyer said that the construction represented a tangible form of support for the city’s veterans.
“Today is the beginning of a generational change. When these houses are built, I hope each of you can come by here in the coming years with a feeling of pride and belonging because you are telling veterans that Milwaukee refuses to let them go through this alone,” he stated, according to a VCP publication.
The governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, also participated in the ceremony.
In a speech quoted by the organization, he stated that the houses represent more than shelter and a safe place to sleep.
“They are a foundation that will help restore dignity, stability, and a sense of community to those who have sacrificed so much for all of us,” said Evers.
Federal data on homeless veterans
The first village of the Veterans Community Project began receiving residents in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2018.
The organization states that its model combines individual housing, direct monitoring, and support services, with an 85% transition rate to permanent housing among participants served in the villages.
In the United States, the January 2025 Point-in-Time count, coordinated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and released by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ homeless assistance programs, estimated 32,495 homeless veterans in the country.
The number represents a 1.2% decrease compared to January 2024 and is the lowest recorded since 2009 for this group, according to the VA.
The federal survey is an annual snapshot of the homeless population on a specific night.
In odd-numbered years, local officials responsible for the count must include both sheltered and unsheltered individuals, such as street dwellers, people in cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or other places not meant for habitation.
In Wisconsin, the VCP cites data from the VA and HUD indicating that 351 veterans were homeless in the state during the period related to the project’s launch, many of them in Milwaukee.
The information was used by the organization to contextualize the choice of the city and the mobilization of public and private resources.
The organization broadens the criteria for assistance compared to more restrictive definitions of homelessness.
According to the VCP, veterans living in tents, sleeping in cars, temporarily relying on someone else’s couch, or at risk of eviction can seek assistance.
The entity also states that it assists people who have taken the military service oath, regardless of career length, type of service, or discharge status.
Dave Myers’ Journey at VCP
The story of Army veteran Dave Myers was presented by the VCP as an example of the link between military experience, personal recovery, and support work for other veterans.
The account provided by the organization states that Myers faced substance abuse, lack of housing, and imprisonment after military service.
According to the original text, Myers encountered the VCP during a period of personal instability and began volunteering following a court order.
Later, he was hired by the organization as an operations staff member and began working directly with village residents.
Myers stated that his journey allows him to connect with residents facing similar issues to those he experienced.
“I was able to connect with our residents in a way that many other people can’t. I’ve been in their shoes,” he said, according to the original report.
Summarizing the relationship with the entity, he declared: “This place saved me.”
Construction of the village in Milwaukee
The construction in Milwaukee still depends on the completion of infrastructure stages and the houses.
VCP reports that the work on the site includes leveling, water service installation, opening of internal roads, and preparation for the foundations of the units.
When completed, the village is expected to increase the organization’s capacity to serve veterans facing housing insecurity in the state of Wisconsin.
According to Wisconsin Public Radio, the expectation reported by Meyer was that the houses would begin to be erected in the spring following the project’s launch, with no official date indicated for the entry of the first residents.
