Kilmer, Mace, Seek to Fund Tiny Homes to Tackle Veteran Homelessness
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan initiative crafted by Reps. Nancy Mace and Derek Kilmer would provide much needed grant money to support the construction of tiny homes for homeless veterans.
Six years after the Veterans Community Project started building tiny homes for homeless veterans in Kansas City, Missouri, the grassroot effort has spread to Longmont, Colorado, St. Louis, Missouri, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Mace and Kilmer’s Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act of 2021 would create a pilot program under the VA’s existing Grant and Per Diem Program.
Grant recipients would receive funds so they can build individualized and sustainable tiny homes in villages for our nation’s homeless veterans. The villages would include wrap-around supportive services for the veterans and their families to help get them back on their feet.
“One-third of all the veterans in South Carolina reside in our congressional district,” Mace said. “As the cost of living continues to rise, the need to ensure that those who risked everything for this country can access affordable housing has never been greater.”
For Rep. Kilmer, co-sponsoring the legislation was easy.
“Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who put their lives on the line to defend our freedom,” he explained. “That means every veteran should have a home, and it shouldn’t be under a freeway overpass.
“I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation to help provide more accessible, affordable, and safe housing options for veterans experiencing homelessness,” he said.
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