Creating affordable housing and a brand new community for homeless vets is the goal for one local group, and Veteran’s Housing Development is to shipping containers to make it happen.
“These are a low cost solution for a huge issue,” said Brad Jordan, the executive director for Veteran’s Housing Development,
“Statistics say that 25-30% of all homeless are veterans,” he said.
The group is building the first of what it hopes will be 25 ready-made homes using modified shipping containers.
“Shipping containers are very versatile in design. You can do several different things with them,” said Jordan.
Plans include single units as well as 3 and 4 bedroom designs, at the fraction of the price of even a mobile home
“At $15,000 for an estimate for one of these single units, it is quite a bit different cost structure than a traditional home,” said Jordan.
The group hopes to create a veterans village that will provide not only housing, but much needed services to homeless vets, “assistance, job assistance and counseling, as well as one of the biggest things is they’re around other veterans”
“And when you have that brotherhood, you tend to just gravitate towards that so why not put them together and help them work together like they were,” said Kris Tourtellotte.
Tourtellotte is the director for the Hutton House, another home for homeless vets, he says that sense of community is vital for struggling veterans to get on their feet.
“People don’t understand what veterans are going through, you need veterans working together to make sure it works,” he said.
For now veterans housing development is still looking for a site to make the 200-acre veteran’s village a reality.
“We’re in discussions with Myrtle Beach, Burroughs and Chapin, and Atlantic Beach, so we’re optimistic we’re going to identify a piece of property here soon,” according to Jordan.
A sentiment he shares with Tourtellotte, “I think it’s a great idea and I hope it spreads across the country.”
If you’d like to see inside a “shipping container home” the Veteran’s Housing Development will open the completed home to the public Saturday June 13 at 8am at Legends Golf Course.
It also has a fund raising event Tuesday June 16 at Gordon Biersch in Market Common.
“These are a low cost solution for a huge issue,” said Brad Jordan, the executive director for Veteran’s Housing Development,
“Statistics say that 25-30% of all homeless are veterans,” he said.
The group is building the first of what it hopes will be 25 ready-made homes using modified shipping containers.
“Shipping containers are very versatile in design. You can do several different things with them,” said Jordan.
Plans include single units as well as 3 and 4 bedroom designs, at the fraction of the price of even a mobile home
“At $15,000 for an estimate for one of these single units, it is quite a bit different cost structure than a traditional home,” said Jordan.
The group hopes to create a veterans village that will provide not only housing, but much needed services to homeless vets, “assistance, job assistance and counseling, as well as one of the biggest things is they’re around other veterans”
“And when you have that brotherhood, you tend to just gravitate towards that so why not put them together and help them work together like they were,” said Kris Tourtellotte.
Tourtellotte is the director for the Hutton House, another home for homeless vets, he says that sense of community is vital for struggling veterans to get on their feet.
“People don’t understand what veterans are going through, you need veterans working together to make sure it works,” he said.
For now veterans housing development is still looking for a site to make the 200-acre veteran’s village a reality.
“We’re in discussions with Myrtle Beach, Burroughs and Chapin, and Atlantic Beach, so we’re optimistic we’re going to identify a piece of property here soon,” according to Jordan.
A sentiment he shares with Tourtellotte, “I think it’s a great idea and I hope it spreads across the country.”
If you’d like to see inside a “shipping container home” the Veteran’s Housing Development will open the completed home to the public Saturday June 13 at 8am at Legends Golf Course.
It also has a fund raising event Tuesday June 16 at Gordon Biersch in Market Common.
