Veterans Community Project moves in more veterans, starts work on village center

More homeless veterans are moving into tiny homes in Sioux Falls, and a big donation has allowed the next phase of the village to start construction.

There now are four veterans living at the Veterans Community Project in northwest Sioux Falls, including two who have been with the program since September and two who moved in more recently.

“One is going really well and one has had some health issues that put him back a little bit, and I don’t know if we can provide the level of care he needs, but he’s working through the program,” said John Holter, who took over earlier this year as executive director.

“We go to various veterans’ service organizations when we have a home available and say, ‘Who would be a good candidate?’ and it typically takes three or four interviews to find one resident willing to work on the project that is homeless.”

Based on a similar village in Kansas City, it typically takes 12 to 18 months to graduate from the program into more permanent housing.

Veterans Community Project provides not just a small, fully furnished home for program participants but wrap-around case management that includes addressing the issues that caused the veteran to become homeless.

Much of that programming will take place in the Village Center, which will serve the 25-home village and is under construction thanks to a large donation from David and Christine Billion.

“They essentially gave the entire amount,” Holter said. “I’ve known Dave for 30 years and said, ‘Hey do you want to get involved?’ and he asked a bunch of questions and said, ‘Well I own a construction company, how about I built it and not send you a bill?’ And I said, ‘That’s a great idea.'”

The in-kind contribution is one of the biggest donations to a Veterans Community Project community in the organization’s history, he said.

“That building is where the magic is going to happen,” Holter said. “There will be space to give financial literacy classes and teach people to cook in a commercial kitchen and do case management. It’s all the things we’re doing out of a construction trailer with a folding chair and card table now.”

The building has a roof on it and work will move inside in the coming weeks, with completed targeted for September.

Veterans Community Project also exceeded its $1.7 million Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Community Appeals campaign this spring by raising $2.9 million, which will help offset unexpected costs in developing the village and keep the project on track finishing its homes.

Five more homes are scheduled to be done this year, bringing the total able to be occupied to 10. An additional five homes have been built by a Harrisburg High School class and the hope is that a donation will allow concrete pads to be poured so those homes can move later this summer and be finished through the winter, for a total of 15 homes available by next year.

Ultimately, the village at 376 N. Willow Ave. is expected to include 15 single-occupant and 10 family units.

“It’s going and it’s a busy place,” Holter said.

While the Billion contribution is building the village center, volunteers are still needed to do everything from work on the tiny homes to pull weeds so the boulevard can be seeded, Holter said.

A final phase will include 10 more homes and a building for volunteers.

“Over the next few months we’re going to lay out a timeline for phase three, but our big focus right now is shifting to operational expenses and raising money for that and completing construction of phase two,” Holter said.