New leader previews what’s next for veterans tiny home village

If all goes according to plan, the first homeless veterans will be living in a new Sioux Falls tiny home village by the end of the year.

The Veterans Community Project plans to break ground on the first 20 tiny homes June 30.

And for Eric Gage, it can’t come soon enough.

He’s the new executive director for the Sioux Falls village, which is part of a broader Kansas City-based nonprofit.

And he said he feels like he just landed his dream job.

“This is the job I didn’t even know I wanted,” he said. “It’s so perfect.”

It’s hard to disagree after learning what led him here.

Gage grew up in the Sioux Falls area, went to Brandon Valley schools and joined the South Dakota Air National Guard as he tried to figure out his future, following his father and grandfather in military service.

Then came Sept. 11, 2001.

“I came home (from training), and we immediately mobilized,” he said.

It led to a number of deployments over the next 12 years while he still “kind of struggled to find my way.” That began to change at the University of South Dakota, where he found his place with the campus veterans club.

“That’s where I found my new calling and my community,” he said.

He was noticed by the national headquarters of Student Veterans of America and hired to work for them after graduation, spending five years in Washington and ultimately running national programs, including scholarships, training, chapter development and conferences.

“My family and I always planned to move back to Sioux Falls – this is home – and we thought it was a great idea to stick to our timeline despite the pandemic,” Gage said.

They returned in 2020, and he joined the residential real estate industry, which ultimately led him to the Veterans Community Project.

He stumbled on a presentation about it through the Realtor Association of the Sioux Empire, stayed in touch, and “when the opportunity arose, I interviewed and went through the whole process, and now here we are,” he said.

He began part time in April and now is leading the Sioux Falls project full time.

“Veterans housing veterans, armed with the strength and support of the community, is what VCP is all about,” said Vincent Morales, an Army veteran and co-founder of Veterans Community Project. “Eric’s commitment to service and his understanding of the challenges facing our fellow brothers and sisters make him an ideal leader for this mission.”

After visiting the original village in Kansas City, Gage said his eyes were opened to the possibilities in Sioux Falls.

“You spend time in the houses and talk to the people who live there … and it is amazing,” he said. “The folks that reside in our village are just inspirational and more than you could ever imagine as individuals and have amazing stories and drive, and are so grateful for the opportunity. It just hits you in a new way about how this is about more than giving people a roof over their head. It’s really changing lives.”

The Sioux Falls village will draw on lessons learned in Kansas City, he said.

The homes will range from 240 to 320 square feet and will be structured around a 3,000-square-foot village center. The goal is to combat veteran homelessness by providing dignified homes with wrap-around services to help veterans ultimately move out and achieve sustainable housing.

“The goal is to make it look like a neighborhood,” Gage said. “The scale is different, but it’s really a group of homes.”

The initial fundraising brought in $1.7 million, including sponsors for all 20 of the first homes. The second phase will include five more homes, the village center and volunteer building. Those services will be delivered out of a trailer to start.

“I can’t even express how excited we are that Sioux Falls jumped on board with this project and embraced it,” Gage said. “I came on board, and I don’t have to worry about that level of fundraising. I can worry about building and bringing all the  people in to be part of the project.”

The village will be at 376 N. Willow Ave. on property donated by the city of Sioux Falls. A team of city employees found the model for the veterans tiny home project while working through a leadership development program.

“Sioux Falls has never had a tiny home village, and there was no zoning or code to allow for it, so all that had to be created, and luckily our partnership with the city has been amazing,” Gage said. “All that got taken care of at an amazing pace, so we’ve been very blessed.”

While a general contractor will oversee the work, much of the construction will be done by volunteers. Gage is working on coordinating those projects now and has had a number of groups reach out, he said. Fundraising also is underway for the second phase.

When the first phase is about three months from completion, Veterans Community Project will begin identifying the first residents to live in the homes.

“It’s very exciting,” Gage said. “Sioux Falls is a special place. I’ve been to a lot of communities and done a lot of work with veterans, and there’s something special here. People get involved and get excited about veterans’ causes.”