GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – There are nearly 68,000 homeless veterans across the country — estimates suggest more than 50 are in Brown County. Veterans1st of NEW is working to house the homeless.
Navy veteran Gail Nohr has always been a helper, especially to veterans.
“It’s been my life’s goal to try and help veterans,” she said. “It means everything to me.”
So, when Nohr learned about the large numbers of homeless veterans just in Brown County alone, she wanted to help.
“Last time I talked to the St. John’s homeless shelter, they said they had 39 veterans there — so, that’s 39,” said Nohr. “There’s 17 at Veterans Housing Recovery Shelter — continually they have a constant waiting list — so, that’s another 17. There was 21 at NEW Community Shelter — this is just veterans now — and four at Transformation House.”
Along with her husband, Nohr created Veterans1st of NEW. The goal of the non-profit organization is to create a tiny home village for homeless veterans in Brown County. It would be like the Veteran Village in Racine.
“We’re going to have 20 tiny homes and a community center,” said Nohr. “We’re going to offer 10 different services along with jobs and job training.”
The veteran’s village on a yet-to-be-determined plot of land, which will be about five acres, will include 16 one-bedroom homes that will be approximately 600 square feet. Those houses will be available for veterans to rent at well below fair market value.
“The goal is to save up enough money to move into a home with a VA home loan — somewhere outside of the village — in two to five years,” explained Nohr.
The remaining tiny homes will be about 800 square feet.
“We’re going to have four transitional homes with two bedrooms each, where they don’t pay anything until they get a job,” added Nohr.
The idea of the tiny homes is to give veterans a place to live while offering them the stability and resources to succeed.
“Sometimes veterans don’t do well in homeless shelters because you’re in such close proximity to people,” said Nohr. “It’s nice to be able to go to your own space and take on that.”
It’s an opportunity veterans like Joe Spagnola would appreciate and embrace.
“It’s a chance for me, for myself, to have my own little area,” said Spagnola. “Nobody else is there — nobody is going to mess with it, nobody is. It’s all about my responsibility and just an opportunity for me.”
Veterans1st is partnering with many different businesses, organizations and foundations to make this village of homes a reality.
Local unions are donating the labor, and building materials are going to be purchased at a discounted rate.
The plan is to break ground on phase one of the tiny home village next year with all 20 homes and the community center completed by summer of 2025.
