- Video shows new tiny homes that will be making a big difference in combating homeless and home insecurity among veterans
- The Brown County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a 3.5-acre land donation Wednesday night to Veterans 1st of Northeast Wisconsin on Green Bay's east side
- Gail and Kim Nohr tell me the goal is to begin the housing veterans in need by as early as spring 2024
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
A vote by the Brown County Board of Supervisors is allowing one organization to make a big difference in finding veterans a new home.
We followed Gail and Kim Nohr, the founders of Veterans 1st of Northeast Wisconsin, as they awaited a vote that would grant veterans 3.5 acres of land on Green Bay's east side.
Their organization aims to house veterans who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
"When I was 18, I was taking care of Vietnam vets, who were very severely injured in the hospital and when you're in the hospital with a veteran, they don't have family there because they're away from home," Gail said. "You're like their only family, and so that really hit me hard."
The mission is to supply more than 20 tiny homes for veterans to stay in every two to five years.
There will also be a community center designated to offering special services for veterans. Those programs include mental health therapy and job placement.
Prior to the vote, community members shared their support.
"You're providing a hand up to a population that needs it desperately right now," one person said.
Data from veterans affairs shows more than 80 veterans are homeless in Brown County. More than 500 are in need of affordable housing.
Kim and Gail tell me that the goal is to begin having these homes in place by spring 2024.
For now, site planning and overall development discussions are the next steps in making these tiny homes more of a reality.
